Aloha au ia 'oe
by dannodontsurf
Summary: Steve's life suddenly started falling apart. Everything went wrong when Cath left. Steve, heartbroken, will try to fix the remaining pieces of what his life used to be. How will he battle a new case and his sudden feelings for Kono? What will happen when, out of nowhere, Cath reappears? Steve will have some tough decisions to make and many lives to save - including his own...
1. Malihini

McKono fanfic – Aloha au ia 'oe [ _I love you_ ]

Chapter I - Malihini [ _Visitor_ ]

The sound of waves crashing echoed from the coast, all the way to the house painted in white. All lights were out; the house was in complete darkness except for the terrace. A small, wooden torch was kindled; enlighting the terrace with its weak, somewhat gloomy light. It wasn't empty, though; Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, dressed in his blue Navy shirt and a pair of dark cargo pants, was sat in a chair, aimlessly looking at the ocean. Verily, his eyes were bloodshot and tired with dark circles under them. It seemed that Commander McGarrett hadn't gotten much sleep last night. To be fair, he hadn't gotten _any_ sleep last night. Pictures of Catherine Rollins leaving, clutching her bulky, black suitcase, were flooding his mind. At times he would feel numb, empty like a seashell without its pearl, left in the deepest ocean. Other times he would feel pain, sharp jolts of pain in his head. Ones he felt in his chest were insidious and didn't cause him much physical pain. They made his mind ache and, if he had anything left of it, his soul. Yes, Commander was possibly going through a heartbreak.

On such a lovely evening, just a month ago, Steve thought he was invincible. Booking one of Hawaii's biggest criminal masterminds, Haku Iona, once again proved that five-0 was a task force one of a kind – ready to serve their country regardless the consequences. The group was fearless and courageous – they left no mystery unravelled, no task unfinished, no case open. Indeed, Commander McGarrett had every right to think highly of himself and his group – he had it all. Then, out of nowhere, things slipped. Due to a new, high-profile case, Steve spent more time in the office than at home. At first, Catherine was patient and supportive until one day.

* * *

_Steve walked through the front door, barely standing on his feet and dragged himself to the couch. He gasped as he sat down, his rib was doubtlessly broken and his leg pained him a lot. Without even looking around, Steve closed his eyes and breathed heavily. At last, he was peaceful. _

"_Oh my!" He heard a loud scream and winced, feeling strong pain in his chest. It was Catherine who scudded towards him. "Steve! Are you all right?" she asked worriedly and glanced at him with her honey coloured eyes. Steve groaned and sat more comfortably, holding onto his shirt. _

"_I'm fine. Just fine," he managed to say and a playful grin appeared on his face. This was nothing new – nothing that hasn't already happened. _

"_You are _not_ fine!" Catherine insisted, carefully removing his blue shirt. The wound was fresh, yet it wasn't a gunshot wound. Steve was apparently stabbed. Catherine covered her mouth with her hand and grabbed the nearest phone. As she was dialling 911, Steve yelled._

"_I'm fine, Cath!" he repeated and abruptly took the phone out of her hand. The call was already made. 'What is your emergency?' the voice spoke as Steve ended the call. Catherine furiously stared at him. _

"_When is this going to stop, Steve?" she asked in a sharp, loud tone. _

"_When is what going to stop?" he repeated tiredly, carelessly and kept looking away from her. _

"_All this, Steve! You going out there every day, risking your life, _getting stabbed and shot!_ When?" she asked, almost pleadingly and crouched down. Cath was looking at him, patiently until he finally glanced at her. _

"_This is my job. It's what I do. I get shot and stabbed so others don't. I survive because I was trained to! I am serving my country because I was taught to, Cath. This is my job. This is my life. It won't change until all evil disappears. I, for once, don't know when that is going to be," he explained, somewhat upset. Cath's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at her intertwined fingers. She rubbed her hands against one another and slowly pulled a diamond ring off her finger. Steve stared at her, blankly, fighting himself to speak but – words weren't coming out. Cath took his hand and gently squeezed it. A smile crossed her lips as she wiped away her tears._

"_I love you for it. And I am proud that I can look at you and see a true hero. I don't want to change that, Steve," she sobbed quietly and saw Steve's face turn sadder. "I for one don't want to change you. But..." she uttered in between quiet sobs as tears rolled down her cheeks._

"_No, Cath, no!" Steve shouted and ran his fingers through her long hair. "Don't..." he pleaded. _

"_But I can't stay. I can't marry you, Lieutenant. Your country needs you. Your people need you. Your team needs you. And, uh, I need you but you can't be there for all of us," she whimpered and placed the ring on the palm of his hand, closing it gently. "I'll miss you, Lieutenant. I'll miss us," she said and kissed him, caressing his cheek for the last time. Then, slowly on her tiptoes, Catherine walked out of the living room, went upstairs and packed her bags. She left silently and unexpectedly out of Steve's life, just like she entered. _

* * *

Commander's unsteady hand picked up a bottle of Brandy and poured it into a clean snifter. Listening to the sound of waves became unbearable as it reminded him of the nights on the beach with Cath. Steve sipped the Brandy slowly, feeling the numbness fade as the bottle was getting emptier. On the table beside him, a phone started vibrating. Danny's widely smiling face appeared on the screen with large, white letters forming _Danno_ on the screen. Steve ignored it, once again. He kept sipping the Brandy until his eyes felt weary and his thoughts were somewhat cleared. Then, slowly to the sound of waves, he let the sleep overcome him as he leant back in the chair.

Half asleep, squinting to the sunrise, Steve heard the terrace door creak open. He opened his eyes and widely smiled.

"Cath?" he called excitedly, feeling warmth inside his chest.

"Steve?" Kono said, closing the door behind her. "Hey, it's me, brah," she quietly murmured and watched his smile fade into a cold stare. Kono could see tears in his eyes under the dimmed sunlight. Carefully, she walked up to him and sat down, putting her hand on his shoulder. Steve's blue eyes sadly stared at her, without a blink, as they filled with water.

"She's gone," he stated, clenching his teeth.

"I know, brah," Kono whispered. Looking at him was hard enough; she had never seen him cry in her life. It was heartbreaking. Kono just wanted to comfort him, make his tears vanish, but she couldn't. No one could, except maybe time.

"And I'm all alone," he murmured, looking at the sunrise. Kono looked at it, too, and then slowly touched his cheek.

"You're not alone, Steve," Kono said with a half-smile and hugged him, letting him wrap his cold arms around her tightly. "You will never be alone."


	2. Aloha kakahiaka

The normally relaxed pace of Detective Danny Williams was today replaced with rushy, nervous footsteps as he was heading to the Five-/ headquarters. The phone in his hand was silent which, for an odd reason, bothered him. It had seemed to be that Detective Williams was expecting a call. Whilst he was rapidly climbing up the stairs, it finally went off to the tune of _Sexy Eyes._ No, Detective Williams did not grow fond of the song; his reasons for putting it as a ringtone were different. In fact, it was a specific tune for a _very_ specific person. Letting out a loud sigh, he answered the phone grumpily.

"What the hell is the matter with you, huh? What, you have some issues or something?" speaking into the microphone, Danny pulled the large, glass door open and walked into the office.

"_Good morning to you, too_," said a familiar voice which belonged to none other than Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. It sounded much more cheerful than it was a month ago. Vacation surely did him good.

"Listen – Steve – we have a situation, uh, did you have dropping by the office in plan today?" asked Danny, now in a lower tone. Still, his voice sounded rather upset, even though nothing had upset Detective Williams all day. It was probably anxiety or nervousness caused by the new case he was informed about. What a great day to start a day; wake up to the noise of a telephone while it's still dark and trip over a shoe box on the way to the kitchen. Coffee had never been more comforting for Detective Williams, after he had hurt his ankle in a racy gait to the kitchen.

"_Why, what happened, Danny?_" Steve's voice suddenly appeared as strict as it used to be. Danny was already picturing the smile completely disappear from Steve's face, whilst his brows narrowed and teeth clenched – outlining Commander's strong jaw line – forming an upset frown.

"Uh, listen, don't freak out, okay," hesitated Danny and walked into his own office. Slowly pushing the door shut, he sat in his chair and sighed, once again, very loudly. It wasn't on purpose, though, he didn't want to upset Steve when he was doing so well. He lifted up his head and somewhat reluctantly spoke. "Haku Iona escaped from prison last night. One guard was, uh, a leak," he said and put his other hand on his forehead with his elbow against the shiny, wooden desk. Then he closed his eyes, mentally preparing for Steve's reaction.

"_What?! How is that even possible? What, do you mean, Danny, a leak – who was it?!" _asked Steve loudly, very much in his old manner. The news he just told Steve were not at all good but Danny couldn't help but – smile. Listening to Steve losing it over the phone meant that Steve was back, for sure, and he was okay.

"I don't know, _Steve_, that's why I'm calling you. It's our job to figure this out, remember?" Danny asked teasingly, pointing his absence out. "Uh, Steve, do me a favour and call Kono. If I tell her that her day off is _on_ one more time, she'll shoot me," said Danny sarcastically and looked around his office.

"_Okay, you tell Chin and find out as much as you can about this leak and I'll call Kono," _requested Steve sharply and ended the call. Danny leant back in his leather chair and murmured something to himself grouchily. This was going to be a long day, he was positive.

* * *

Driving a black Chevrolet van leisurely down the road, Steve made a turn left and parked the car in front of Kono's house. He pulled his sunglasses off and quickly opened the car door. Before he walked up to her front door, Steve made a few steps. Then he hesitatingly approached the door and knocked three times on the greenish door. A lot of things were on his mind, mostly Haku Iona's escape. The leak especially bothered him. Steve, himself, made sure that people who were guarding his cell were people he could trust. Was it a wrong assessment? Did he really make such a crucial mistake? Or did he miss a lot while he was gone? Whilst he was battling his own thoughts, standing in front of Kono's door with his arms crossed on his chest, he heard the door open behind him. Steve turned away and saw Kono's face, red and tearful.

"Hey, hey, what happened?" asked Steve as he pulled Kono into a hug. Sobbing quietly, Kono mumbled _Adam_. Steve's face went blank, and he could feel the warmth of Kono's skin.

"It's... _over,_" said Kono sadly but stopped crying. Steve's embrace slowly turned into a tight hug.

"It's all right, I'm here now," he whispered and stroked her hair gently, then, as she lifted her head up, smiled at her. "Let's get something to eat, how does that sound?" suggested Steve, forgetting about the new case for a while.

"I'm not hungry," she replied. Kono's voice sounded tired and hoarse; probably from yelling, Steve concluded. It must have been a tough fight.

"Okay, that's fine," Steve said, faking enthusiasm in his voice. He wanted to sound happy and strong, like she knew him, because it was the only way Kono could feel... not alone. Steve wanted to be her rock, like she was his. A solid rock, she was. It didn't require a phone call for her to show up at his front door with beer and fried chicken (which was really Kamekona's fault). Danny and Chin were there, too, just not too often. They had a lot of work in the office while Kono faked flu to spend a few days with Steve. His wound healed quickly around her, and so did the wound Catherine made; not completely but it faded. Now, Steve only remembered Catherine as a bitter sweet memory that lasted less than a cigarette; gone for good.

Kono rubbed her eyes and a light frown appeared on her face. "I need to do something, to get my mind off things, you know?" she said and looked at him, like a child asking for a lollipop, and asked whether she missed anything.

"Actually," Steve made a remark and smiled at her facial expression. "Danno called, something came up. We should go there and check it," he suggested.

"Good," Kono said and suddenly turned towards the van parked on her lawn. "I hope it's a big-fat-nasty case so I can crash into my bed later," she rolled her red eyes and stormed down a few stairs, walking up to the car door and opening them.

"You crash into bed after big cases?" asked Steve as he followed her into the car. Starting the engine, he looked at her.

"No. I crash into bed after a few glasses of whiskey," she said. Steve lifted his eyebrows and a little smile stretched across his face. They were getting drunk tonight.


	3. Kōkua

**Chapter III – Kōkua **_[ __**Assistance**__ ]_

The sound of tires creaking against the hot concrete echoed and quickly muted as Detective Chin Ho Kelly shoved the black smart-phone in the pocket of his dark jeans. Lifting his head up, a worried frown spread on his face. Detective Kelly had a rough, sleepless night. The Sun was high up in the sky, illuminating the wonderful scenery of Hawaii. It was a hot day, and it was about to get even hotter. Detective Kelly walked up to the van, with two people sitting in it, and lifted his eyebrows up. Commander McGarrett's smile stretched across his face and he pushed the car door open.

"Chin!" said Steve as he got out of the car. Quickly glancing over at Kono's somewhat numb expression, he walked up to Chin and gave him an earthy hug, tapping his back.

"Hey, Steve," Chin's frown faded and he smiled widely at him. "How was your vacation? Ready to catch the bad guys again?" he asked, laughing in his very friendly tone.

"You bet," said Steve. "I got enough sleep for the entire year," joked Steve and looked at the headquarters building. "I hear we have a big case, you know something about it?" Suddenly, his expression went from smiling to serious – as it usually would when he discussed work. Chin headed towards the building, glancing at Kono who followed them without a word.

"Haku Iona escaped from prison last night, but I think you already know that," started Chin and Steve nodded lightly. "The thing is, the mentioned leak in the security – doesn't exist," said Chin seriously and Steve stopped walking. He raised his hand up, gesturing confusion and narrowed his eyebrows.

"Wait, wait, what are you talking about?"

"We checked the security tapes," said Chin and they started walking to the building again. Chin pulled the door open and let them two pass. Whilst Kono was entering the building, Chin smiled at her comfortingly. Kono's lips stretched a bit, forming a weak smile. Whatever was hurting her – she was being strong about it, thought Chin. He wasn't going to let this go as easily but – the case was his primary concern. _Their _primary concern.

"We got nothing," continued Chin as they walked up the stairs. "As a matter of fact, the security tapes show Haku Iona in his cell, lying on the bed at the time of escape."

"That's impossible," implied Steve. "He couldn't have been at two places at the same time."

"Exactly," said Chin. "And he wasn't," Chin made a significant remark and opened the door of the office. "The person in the cell was Rick Howards. He was lying on the bed with his head on the pillow. He was dead," explained Chin professionally. Meanwhile, Detective Williams found himself in the room, closing the door of his office behind him.

"Look who remembered to come in to work today," said Danny with a smile. Steve gave him the evil eye. "I'm joking, of course," he said. "It's really good to see you again," Danny tapped Steve's shoulder.

"What, I don't get a hug?" asked Steve teasingly. Danny sighed at his childish remark and shook his head.

"No, not today, you've been on vacation while I was, uh, working my _ass off_," said Danny. Steve laughed and hugged him quickly. "Uh, just as I said, I'm not hugging you. I forgot about the vice versa part, though."

"Vice versa?" asked Steve and looked at Danny.

"Guys, I hate to interrupt but we have work to do," said Chin seriously.

"Ah, come here," said Danny and hugged Chin who, accepting the sudden burst of emotions, laughed. "You don't have to be jealous," said Danny in an attempt to whisper, being almost painfully loud. Chin laughed heartily and walked up to the work table whilst Danny went to hug Kono.

"You, uh, okay?" asked Danny, this time quietly.

"I'm all good, brah," replied Kono. Steve silently observed them for a while, before he broke the silence.

"So, what do we know?" he asked, turning the friendly atmosphere into a working, tense one with his strict tone.

"Haku Iona, fifty-three years old, Hawaiian resident, head of Yakuza since Hiro Noshimuri's death, accused of several homicides, robberies, attempts of the mentioned – was brought in three times, released under bail each time. He was never booked until last year when he was accused of murdering three civilians during a robbery - one of his major operations," spoke Chin. "But, we know that since Steve booked him," Chin looked over at Steve who significantly looked back at him and went on. "He escaped prison around two a.m. this morning, and there we lose every track."

"What about the leak, Danny?" asked Steve, now turning to look at Danny who was typing something on the table.

"The leak," he showed several photos of a bulky man, dressed as a police officer. "Is an anonymous. This person here," he showed photos of the suspect's face. "Is not a police officer. Therefore, not a leak," explained Danny and paused.

"Well, what is he, then?" asked Kono whilst observing the man's face. Danny hesitated to answer for a moment. Sighing, he scratched the back of his head.

"Nothing," he simply replied, confusing everyone in the room – including himself.

"Danny, you're making no sense!" yelled Steve.

"So is this case! I've run this guy through all databases we have access to, none recognize him. His face doesn't match anything in our data!"

"Maybe you've got the wrong angle," suggested Kono and browsed through the pictures. "Let's try again."

"Uh, fine, try again but I don't think you'll get a match," sighed Danny. Kono started digging through the database, she ran every angle of his face through the data. Nothing came up.

"No match," said Kono in disbelief. Now, this was something that had never happened before. "How is this possible?" she stared at the screen, clearly showing big, red letters _no match_. Steve was scratching his chin, frowning and Danny and Chin were exchanging confused looks.

"Maybe we don't have access to _the_ data," suggested Steve. "Maybe we need to dig a little deeper," he looked at Kono.

"Boss..." interrupted Kono.

"What? What?" asked Danny, glancing at Steve. "Do not have a insane idea that will get us all killed in mind! No!" complained Danny, sharply looking at Steve.

"Danny, shut up, just shut up, okay!" groaned Steve and pulled the phone out of his pocket.

"Steve, you're not thinking of..." started Chin nervously.

"_NOOO,_" pronounced Danny slowly. "NO, _Steven_!" he commanded, taking a few steps forward.

"Look, we don't have a choice, okay. It's just a phone call, strictly professional," replied Steve coolly. Danny put his hand on his gun and made a grimace.

"I would rather shoot you than let you do that to yourself," he said sharply and seized the phone out of Steve's hand, as if it were a dangerous weapon or crucial piece of evidence he just _had to have_. Steve failed to complain, he watched Danny hold his phone, hesitating to make a call.

"I'll do it, okay? So shut up," ordered Danny and dialled a phone number on Steve's new phone. "This is Detective Danny Williams, if you remember. Five-O. Yes," he spoke and slowly walked around. Steve kept looking at his own feet, still as a statue. Kono wasn't sure if he was even breathing.

"Listen, we require your assistance," said Danny and sighed as he stood still to lean against the wall. He put his other hand in his pocket, whilst holding the phone against his ear with his other hand. Danny was surely nervous. "Please, this is urgent. Yes, exactly. Uh huh..." he spoke still, looking at Chin. Nodding reassuringly, Danny looked out of the window as he continued speaking. "I will send you all the information. Just run that man through every database you have, please, it is extremely important," he said. "And thank you, uh, Catherine."

Danny hung up the phone and looked at Steve's face – suddenly gone blank.

* * *

_A/N; Writing these three chapters (so far) has been extremely fun and inspiring. I learnt to write with such ease, describing possibly my favourite characters. I hope I did them justice; I hope they act the way they would act, speak the way they would and, most importantly, I hope they are what they are. I am also very pleased with all the nice comments about this fanfic. It means so much to me! _

_Now, since a lot of people have been asking me to update soon, I feel obligated to inform you about my plans for the future chapters. I am planning on updating chapter 4 and maybe 5 very soon (this week), and the remaining chapters will be posted weekly – each Monday. As for the plot itself, I plan on adding a lot of action – as you can see, there is a big case involved – a lot of friendship, giving a dimension to the characters, a lot of plot twisters and, of course, a lot of McKono. So, until next chapter – enjoy. Mahalo for reading!_


	4. Kapu

**Chapter IV – Kapu – [ Taboo / No Trespassing ]**

**A/N; Before you start reading, I'd just like to take a moment to thank you because your feedback has been lovely. I'm really glad you're enjoying this fanfic – and so am I, so thank you once again for being so amazing.**

**A/N2; This chapter is double the size of the previous ones. I apologise if it is a bit boring, I had to start the whole case part. **

**A/N3; A review would make my day and it would also help me a lot with the writing (maybe even speed the process up ;D) ! **

**So, there you have it. Now you're free to read, enjoy! And thanks again! :)**

**(By the way, I apologise for any typos and mistakes.) + I've added lines to indicate paragraphs. Hope it's easier to read that way!  
**

* * *

The tension in the air was almost painful. Commander's facial expression went blank again. It was like a mask; it was impossible to tell what he was thinking, let alone feeling. The blue eyes of his seemed to be made of glass, they were showing _nothing _at the very moment.

"Uh..." finally murmured Danny. Nervously, he walked back to the touch keyboard. "Steve, are you okay?" he asked with caution, expecting a loud lesson from Steve's motionless lips. Yet, he said nothing. Steve looked at his feet again, with his arms crossed on his chest. No one dared to speak. The room was filled with silence until a catchy ringtone blasted from Steve's phone. Danny grabbed it rapidly and answered, turning his back to Steve.

"Catherine, hi," he quickly said. "Wait, what? You must be kidding me!"

"It's off the record," said Chin disappointedly. Danny turned around and ran a hand across his face.

"Uh, yes, that's fine," said Danny grumpily. "Thank you, Catherine, anyway," he paused. Then, glancing quickly at Steve's still figure, made a grimace. "Listen, I don't think that's a good idea," said Danny in a very low tone, walking away from the touch keyboard. Steve immediately looked up and gazed at Danny.

"What is it?" asked Steve sharply to what Danny sighed, almost desperately. Chin was closely observing the situation whilst Kono was typing on the keyboard. Still, she was very aware of the whole situation.

"Uh, she found nothing," said Danny and put his hand on the speaker of the phone. "No match."

"That's all?" Steve asked, and his face went darker.

"Well, umm, no. Not exactly," Danny hesitated. "Catherine... she, she wants to talk to you." Once the words slipped Danny's mouth, Steve's hand flew towards the phone, grabbing it from his hand. Danny wanted to stop him but there was no way. There was no way to change Steve's determined, in ways insane mind.

"Cath," Steve breathed into the speaker. Danny covered his face with his hands, as if he was trying to stop himself from seeing what was about to happen. He couldn't exactly tell but one thing he knew – he cared about Steve. The day he met Steve, Danny was almost certain he wouldn't see his eyes tearful until he actually did. It was hard just seeing him broken like that. Somehow, it was impossible to believe that the Super Seal could ever break down. After all, he was Danny's rock. He was _everybody's_ rock. How do you go on if your shield; your friend is left behind?

"Listen, I know it's a lot to ask but I have no other choice," spoke Steve, surprisingly calm, surprisingly - _emotionless_. "Dig a little deeper."

"_Steve... I'm sorry but... I can't do that,"_ replied Catherine silently.

"Catherine, this is really important." Steve's sharp voice sounded cool and careless. Catherine hesitated to answer him. What she really wanted to tell him had nothing to do with Haku Iona.

"_Steve, you don't hear me. I can't do that. I've already run him through every source I have. No match. The guy you're after is... well, I don't know how to put this but, Steve, you're on a fake trail." _

"What do you mean, exactly, a fake trail? No one touched those cameras before us," he argued.

"_I don't know. Maybe you're looking at this from a wrong perspective."_

"Perspective?" he insisted angrily.

"I really don't know, I wish I could help you but-"

"-But you won't, right? Thank you, Officer Rollins, you've helped _a lot_," addressing her formally, like there was no past between them, he hung up the phone and threw it into the wall as the loud ringtone blasted through the speakers again. The phone fell on the floor, in one piece, while Steve stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him shut.

"When is he going to learn..." groaned Danny, finally removing his hand off his face.

"Never," commented Chin and looked at Kono. "Cuz, what's wrong?"

"_What's wrong?_ What_ isn't_ wrong? Don't you see it? He's not okay! And neither am I," she uttered and followed Steve's steps while Danny and Chin were left behind, in complete silence.

* * *

Kono ran downstairs; her feet were loudly touching the cold stairs as the sound reigned the massive hall. The heart inside her chest was pounding loudly, as though it was going to explode. The conversation in the car she had with Steve was the only thing she could think about. Not Haku Iona, not even the _no match_ suspect were the ones roaming her thoughts. It was Steve – his warm hands, strict face contours, friendly words... It was him, the way no one saw him. Kono was the one to see him with masks down; as a human with feelings. She was sane, and just like that, she found a side of him no one ever thought there was – the side that he never showed.

Finally making her way out of the Headquarters, Kono ran as she saw Steve's car move abruptly away from the parking spot.

"Steve! _Steve!"_ she yelled, stopping once she realised there was no way she'd ever get him to listen to her. Not now. Not like this.

* * *

Looking out through the clean window, Steve's eyes caught a glimpse of the Sun setting behind a grassy hill. He had been driving for hours, surely. The Sun was already setting and he had stormed out of the office early. However, he couldn't tell. The drive seemed to pass so quickly. By now, Steve was wondering why no one called yet. Usually when he would burst angrily like this morning, they would let him be alone with his thoughts for a while. Then, someone would always make sure he was all right. As if he needed to be checked up on. Nevertheless, there was something strangely comforting in the care the team showed. It was never really necessary – why would a trained, highly capable and intelligent Navy Seal need a babysitter? He wouldn't, not really. But he liked the idea of having one. Or three, for that matter.

Commander's careful and observant eyes were now weary. Unwary. Just a second was enough. Just one.

* * *

Detective Williams' fingers were flying over the telephone on his work desk, while his mouth was letting out loud sighs – one after another. No news on McGarrett. It was slightly worrying – even though Danny knew Steve wasn't like others, like himself – he was special. Different, in fact. It was impossible to defeat him, catch him off guard. But, all those walls Steve had built up around himself, somehow managed to fall – at least crack. And through those cracks, Danny could see the reality. Reality was cruel and unexpected. It was hard to believe that Steve would ever shout in his sleep. It was, also, hard to believe that he was willing to bargain at the time – for something precious – still, it was something he had never done. Steve did not bargain. What was actually the hardest thing to believe was that not one bullet, not one blade had ever hurt him this badly. Not even closely. That was the sad, unbelievable part.

"What do you mean you _can't_ help me? I'm not asking you – I'm _telling_ you-" shouted Danny once he was hung up on – again. He was like a ticking bomb, ready to explode any minute. Chin's comforting smile showed up behind the glass door and opened the door with one quick, gallant hand movement.

"Busy?" he asked. Obviously, he didn't want to bother Danny. Even so, time didn't stop just because McGarrett was gone. The case was still open, fresh, and ready to be investigated. And, by the looks of what they've seen and heard this morning, they will have more than little investigating to do.

"Sadly, no," replied Danny and gave Chin a friendly smile. Making his way to Danny's desk, Chin threw a file of papers on it and Danny immediately took it in his hands. "Please tell me you have something."

"I can't be sure but, see for yourself," said Chin once he took a seat in a chair opposite Danny. Observing the papers, Danny lifted his head up. His eyebrows were somewhat narrowed – they did not give an impression of happiness.

"What is this? Photos of unidentified men? And... women, apparently," continued Danny, still as confused.

"I pulled a few strings and, apparently, these cases are oddly familiar to our case. All include massive robberies and homicide – also, all these faces were seen only once. On cameras, the night the certain robbery was made. None of those people were ever seen afterwards, not here nor on the mainland. They are also on Interpol's watch list,, they have been for years."

"Let me guess – they got nothing?" asked Danny, now intrigued.

"Exactly. Don't you think someone would have seen them? There are more than thirty suspects in that file which is a pretty large number. It is impossible to maneuver such a large scale venture. This is not a silly crime, well planned. We're talking mass murders, millions stolen from banks and even prison escapes."

"Wai-wai-wait," said Danny quickly and raised his hand. "Prison escapes?" he gestured surprise with his hand and raised his brows in astonishment.

"Uh-huh," confirmed Chin with a satisfied half smile.

"So, you're saying that whoever these guys are – they have something to do with Haku Iona?"

"I'm almost sure. But, Danny, that is not all. These guys are invisible. No one has been able to identify them, let alone catch them. And the earliest case is more than ten, even twenty years old," explained Chin while the smile faded. He seemed worried now.

"Ugh," groaned Danny. "I don't get it. How is that even possible?"

"I don't know. The good thing is that someone else might have an idea," said Chin and stood up. Danny caught his glance and it made his day a tiny bit brighter.

"Great job, buddy," said Danny, almost happily. Pulling the door of his office open, he let Chin out first and walked behind him. Then, for a moment, he stopped. "Hey, you said you pulled some strings – those were a hell of a strings if you managed to dig that kind of information out. Who'd you call?"

"Let's say the Navy helped me a bit," said Chin and a smile stretched across his face. Danny pushed his hand down his pocket and spoke, while gesturing with his other hand.

"Wait, I thought that was Steve's thing. Super Navy sources," Danny commented through a joke, but didn't laugh. Chin, however, let a hearty laugh out.

"It is. But you're forgetting a mutual source," hinted Chin. "Joe White."

Danny looked at him for a moment with admiration, then they proceeded with walking out of the Headquarters.

* * *

Slowly but effectively, Steve's hand reached the catch and he managed to push the door open. It took him a while to get out of the tossed car, which looked nothing like a car now, as he was carefully finding his way through the passenger's seat out of the car. If only he had been more careful before – it didn't make much change whether he had three scratches on his arm or more. Once he finally crawled out, bit by bit he stood up. A jolt of pain rolled down his back. He, also, had a bad cut on his stomach but – nothing severe. It was pure luck that he had gotten out of this alive. After a deep breath, Steve looked at his car. A total wreck. No repair needed – it was a deadly hunk of metal now. The only place it belonged was a car dump – not a mechanic's. Steve was starting to act foolish again, making him throw his phone in the wall and leaving it there. He wasn't panicking, though. Knowing exactly where he was, Steve slowly made a few steps heading toward the downhill, staggering his way to the beach a little down the hill he was on.

* * *

"And the award for being stupid goes to... Kono!" sighed Kono whilst scolding herself. How could have she been so naive? Steve was her boss. Sure, he was her friend but primarily her boss. And he was still in love with Catherine. It was painful to think about it, but it was the truth. She shouldn't have let herself think about it, ever. Or dream about it. Steve was taboo to her. Lost in her own thoughts, a loud moan brought her concentration back. Putting the beer bottle onto the warm sand, Kono's dark eyes saw none other than – Steve. He apparently didn't notice her, otherwise he would have let her know. Getting up, Kono headed towards him. It was until she noticed he was injured.

"_Boss ?_" she shrieked and ran towards him.

"K-uh-ono," he spoke as loud sighs of pain interrupted his attempt to address her.

"What happened?" asked Kono loudly, helping him sit down. Except for the heavy breathing and nasty bruises – he seemed fine. Steve hesitated to answer until he was able to give her a proper answer, without sounding like a man on his deathbed.

"I had a car accident," he said and Kono immediately reacted. He grabbed her warm hand and looked at her seriously. "I'm fine, Kono, okay. It's just the car. It's wrecked."

"You need to get to a hospital, now!" she insisted, while her heart was pounding fast. Steve grabbing her hand took her of guard. Feeling his cold palm was... something she wasn't supposed to think about. At all.

"What I need is to get that car off the road. And a drink," he commented, reliving their morning conversation. Kono calmed down.

"I'll take care of it, don't worry," Kono stood up and disappeared for a moment while Steve stared at the dark blue sea. It was almost night time. Before he had the chance to miss her, Kono appeared next to him with two bottles of beer in her hand. Steve looked at her as if he was amazed and took the cold beverage. Kono sat beside him, probably too close than appropriate, and buried her feet in the sand, still warm from the sunlight.

"I can't believe you remembered," said Steve after a very long pause. They were drinking beer in complete silence until they finished it. Kono glanced at him, smiling.

"I remember everything you say," she said simply and nonchalantly. In that very moment, as he was looking at her brown eyes, Steve felt something. Maybe nostalgia, maybe attraction, maybe delirium. Whatever it was, it must have been strong to make Steve kiss Kono's lips under the moonlight.


	5. Laulima

**Chapter V – ****Laulima – ****[ **_**Cooperation **_**]**

**A/N; This chapter is also a lenghty one, I think I might keep writing longer ones – until I lose inspiration. Again, thank you all so so so much for your wonderful comments. I appreaciate every single of them.**

**I am personally not happy at all with this chapter, especially the end. It's not a cliff hanger, at least not in the way the previous one was, but it leaves some questions, doesn't it? Anyway, I'm really sorry if it is not as interesting and if it merely boring. **

**Remember, reviews make me really happy so, if you want to speed up the process of writing this fanfic – write a review so I could get a better picture of the whole thing!**

**And lastly, I apologise for mistakes. There will be mistakes because I am too lazy to reread this but I will eventually correct them. Now, read!**

* * *

The massive, nicely polished piano set against a wall with a small window was now mute. How odd, since most of the time, it would produce either different noises or beautiful melodies, reigning the average sized room. The fingers which usually produced the tones whilst gracefully touching the keys were now busy, flying over a keyboard. And whose fingers would it be other than Dr. Bergman's?

Max Bergman, Chief Medical Examiner, was now occupied. Even preoccupied. The brave little man's brain was now working at its maximum ability – rethinking the recent events, trying to match the puzzle pieces to their place in the big story. It was an exciting day for Dr. Bergman. He might have just discovered how people become invisible.

* * *

Turning the keys in the lock in a quick turn, Chin Ho turned the car engine off. They parked in front of a tall, bricked building. Getting out of the car, Danny shortly observed the familiar area around them. Significantly glancing at Chin, he took a deep breath and smiled, even though he had at least ten things to worry about on his mind. The night was slowly ingulfing the city lights as the warm breeze blew every here and there.

„I wonder what took Max so long," commented Chin as he started walking towards the entrance. Danny followed, closing the colossal glass door behind them. They exchanged serious looks before Danny spoke.

„I really – really hope he has something good because we're already two people short and it looks like this case won't get any easier," said Danny whilst doing his usual hand gestures. It was just something he did, a habit.

„Maybe he found something at the crime scene," suggested Chin on their way through a long hallway. The walls were painted in a greenish colour that had faded, a long time ago, and cracks were visible at corners. The weak light coming from the ceiling lamps somewhat illuminated the hallway – it was enough enlightened to notice the various metal shelves, boxes and items before you trip over them.

„Let's see for our selves," said Danny and entered a cabinet, also known as Max's office. Dr. Bergman noticed their arrival the moment Danny set foot in his office.

„Hello – gentlemen," he greeted in most formal way. His voice seemed robotic for just a wee, but it was definitely warm. Max had a friendly personality. „I see you managed to come," he made a painfully obvious remark – one of the many he usually made – and succedeed in making Danny a tiny bit grumpier than he was.

"Max, uh, please – you said you had something for us," insisted Danny, sighing loudly. His hands were already shoved down the pockets of his blue pants. "What is it?"

"I am glad you asked, Detective Williams," replied Max while a satisfied smile stretched across his face. "You see, last night – when the crime took place – I arrived quite shortly after I was called. But, I failed to find any abnormalities in this case," he explained slowly and clearly. It was obvious that Danny's patience was running low, especially when he bit his lower lip in order to stop himself from flipping.

"Which was odd for a case such as this one. Therefore – I decided to return to the crime scene. This time – I was more successful," whilst talking, Max returned to his computer and opened a few pictures, graphs and texts with stats.

"According to the recordings you, gentlemen, have seen – Haku Iona was in his cell at all times. Which doesn't explain how a man, named Rick Howards for that matter, got into the very cell. I found that very unlikely at the time. Luckily, I was right," Max then showed various snapshots of a man in the cell, presumably Haku Iona, his back turned to the camera on each shot. Chin and Danny observed the photos, closely listening to Max's theory.

"You see, none of these photos show the man's face. Which leads me to the next conclusion – the man we are looking at is Rick Howards," said Max. Danny made a grimace and pulled his hand out of the pocket.

"Wait, Max, these photos are two days old. What does _that_ have to do with _anything_?" asked Danny, slightly confused, as the gestures of his hand followed his every word. He seemed to be vaguely nervous. Chin glanced at Danny, apparently confused by Danny's confusion. He understood exactly what Max was saying. Perhaps Danny had missed the last part of Max's explanation.

"Well, detective Williams, this has a _lot_ to do with everything. The shots show us that Haku Iona didn't escape from prison last night. He had done it - _two_ nights ago," explained Max with caution. Danny's heart skipped a beat. How could they have missed this?

* * *

Adrenaline was running through her veins. The heart that had been beating slowly was now pounding like crazy. Kono felt her breath stop on her lips as their lips were locked in a lip lock. Out of a sudden, Steve pulled away and hesitated. His mind was a mess. He just made a mistake. The part of him intoxicated with pain, alcohol and solitude wanted to kiss Kono. The other part of him – the sane, aching part wanted to kiss Catherine.

"Kono," he said lazily. His voice was low and hoarse. Kono frowned.

"Boss," she replied, madly, and Steve corrected her.

"_Steve," _he said which had an effect on her frown. It was gone. "I'm Steve, just Steve."

"Oh, Steve," whispered Kono as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Steve lightly embraced her warm figure.

"Listen," he began and Kono felt her heart race even faster. She stared at the sea. "Kono, what I did was wrong."

"No!" she argued and let go, glancing at him madly.

"_Kono,"_ he whimpered in a low tone, taking her hand. It was still as warm as the first time he held it. "I can't do this. I can't do this to you," he said with a certain feel of melancholy in his tone. "None of us is thinking straight right now. You feel mixed up because of Adam." Kono felt like crying, one of a sudden. No, it wasn't because of Adam. It was because of Steve. She wanted to tell him, badly, that things ended the night she saw Steve cry. The spark was there and, since then, Kono hadn't found a way to shake that feeling off. After all, it isn't something you just – shake off. Kono was falling for Steve, so fast, and everything about this moment showed that he wasn't going to be there to catch her. Well, at least not the way she wanted him to be.

Kono pretended like he was right – how would she prove him wrong, anyway? Steve was _always_ right, even when he wasn't; like now.

"And I feel... Dammit, I don't even know. I don't want to do the wrong thing. I don't want to lose you, Kono," he embraced her tightly, whilst Kono let a tear roll down her cheek. "I still miss her, _so much_," he spoke and Kono felt something break inside her. Out of a sudden, she was so tired. Her whole body ached, her mind was blank. It only took him a few seconds, and even lesser words to make her feel this way. "I don't want to miss you, too, Kono," he said and she quickly pulled away. Glancing at her, surprised, Steve noticed her wet cheek. He didn't say anything. Maybe he wanted to but – he couldn't.

"You're right, Steve," she said, trying to put on a fake smile. "We're not okay. Not right now," she said and turned her head away from him, to observe the coast.

"But we will be," he then said with a weak smile. "Can you promise me you'll be okay? Eventually."

"Eventually," replied Kono inaudibly. If eventually meant with him, then she spoke the truth. But if eventually meant without him, she lied.

"Hey, let's go. You need some sleep and I, uh, need some stitches," he joked and helped her stand up while battling the sharp pain in his abdomen. "I'll see you in the morning,"

"Hey, where are you going?" she asked loudly once he headed in the opposite direction. "I'll give you a ride home!"

"That's fine, Kono, don't worry. I know exactly where I am," he paused to look at her. Smiling, he glanced at her one last time before he left.

* * *

"What is the matter with you, huh?" shouted Danny the moment Steve walked in. "I swear to God, you are an animal. I swear! Where have you been, huh? And what the hell happened?"

"Jesus, Danny, shut up!" groaned Steve as he limped to the couch. Danny stared at him furiously. He had gotten him _too_ worried.

"Are you _ever_ going to listen to me? Huh? What, you think I want to make you miserable or – or something? Why do you always do things the _other _way around?" he spat. Steve covered his face with his hands and let out a loud sigh, clearly letting Danny know that he was being a pain in the ass.

"Danny, I don't need this right now," he explained, not even bothering to sound sharp and bossy. He was tired.

"Yeah, you don't. What you _do_ need is a doctor, though," he noticed worriedly.

"Danny, I'll be fine, okay. I need some sleep," he said as he stood up. Slowly, he walked past Danny. Danny rapidly turned at him, feeling the scent. Except that he reeked of smoke and dirt, Danny noticed a strangely familiar smell. It wasn't a perfume but it smelled nice. Flowery. It was... damn familiar. Steve climbed up the stairs and yawned before shouting.

"Let yourself out," he shouted and closed the door of his bedroom. Danny sighed loudly and did as he was told. He sat in his silver Camaro and drove off, but he didn't fail to notice that – Steve's car was missing.

* * *

By the time Chin entered the office, Steve was already at work. He was sitting in his office, almost covered in papers. Without hesitation, Chin rushed into Steve's office. Skipping the morning greetings, the voice of concern escaped Chin's mouth.

"Steve, Malia told me you came to see her this morning," he started, walking up to his desk. Steve looked aside whilst letting out a loud sigh and turned to face Chin.

"I told her it was not to tell you," said Steve. "I don't need you worrying over me. I'm fine; I just had a little accident. Kono helped me," he pointed through the glass. Kono was already typing on the touch keyboard. It looked like both Steve and Kono came in early to catch up with what they had missed out on the previous day. Steve watched Danny enter the office, wearing a blue shirt and a matching, navy blue tie. He looked away for a moment. "Don't worry about it, Chin."

"If you say so," said Chin in a comforting tone and shrugged his shoulders. "Have you seen the material?"

"Uh, yeah, I have. By the looks of it, this is going to be a tough one," sighed Steve. Then he looked up again and saw Danny, staring at him through the glass. He seemed extremely angry. Meanwhile, Chin left Steve's office – Danny took the opportunity and walked inside. Then, in a very low but wary tone, spoke. His hands were on Steve's desk and his eyes were gazing at Steve's.

"Now – listen to me, _Steven_. Whatever the hell you think you're doing is, I'm telling you to stop – right now. _If_ you fail to listen to my _friendly_ advice, I will shoot you. I will _not_ watch you suffer like that; I will _not_ let you do that to yourself. Now I know you have no limits, you don't care about the consequences but I do!" his whisper began to sound louder.

"Danny-"

"_Zip – it – Steven!_" he requested loudly. "I know I can't actually threaten a crazy ass like yours – but – I am asking you, Steven, because I don't know what else to do. I am begging you, as a friend, as a partner, as a _fucking part of the team_, stop it!"

"What the hell are talking about?" snapped Steve.

"I know you were with Kono last night. I don't know what happened and – quite frankly – I don't want to know but – do that again and you got yourself a one way ticket to the past," said Danny quietly and left the office. Steve didn't move. His strict, wide open eyes kept staring at the place Danny was standing earlier. It was time to fix things. Fix himself. He picked up the phone and dialled a number, feeling his hands shake until he heard a voice on the other side.

"I need to see you," he said into the speaker. "Same place, same time as last time."

Steve said and hung up.


	6. Ho'omaka 'ana

**Chapter VI - ****Ho'omaka 'ana** - [ _Beginning_ ]  


**A/N; As always, thank you so much for your amazing comments! They are very much appreciated, honestly. **

**This chapter is also long but also boring, I'm afraid. If you find yourself yawning somewhere in the middle of this text, I AM SO SORRY! I had to write this chapter this way so the story could proceed with some sense. I promise that the next chapters will be much more interesting and filled with action. I also promise another cliff hanger for the next chapter. ;) **

**Remember; reviews would make my day!  
**

**And finally, my apologies for the mistakes that might occur. As usual, I was too lazy to correct them. **

**There you have it, chapter six, enjoy! **

* * *

Putting her hand on the yellowish doorknob, Kono shoved the key into the lock with her other, right hand. She tried to turn the key inside the lock – nothing happened. The door seemed to be unlocked. Feeling a rush of panic, Kono reached for her gun - _caltech 9mm _– and carefully leant against the wall, holding the gun with both hands. Even at the very moment, Kono could vividly remember the moment she saw that gun for the first time. When she took it in her hand, feeling the heaviness of a fire weapon – so dangerous, yet so saving. Just thinking about the moment made her head a mess, especially when the scene where _Steve_ handed her the white box rushed through her mind. But, there was no time. What she was thinking about was surreal and this, the unlocked door of her house – it was reality. She was a cop; she was capable of dealing with things like this. Maybe not at the very moment but – Kono wasn't going to let a man change her point of view. Even if his name was Steve McGarrett.

In a second, Kono's leg flew towards the door, busting them open. Aiming her gun at the still figure in her living room, Kono felt rage ruffle inside her. It was Chin Ho who looked more confused than Kono herself. Kono put her gun on the table aside her, sighing loudly and glanced at Chin.

"I thought you were a burglar or something," concluding, she crossed her arms. Chin looked too serious but managed to smile.

"I sure am a tidy one then," he joked to break the awkwardness of the situation – pointing out how everything was at its place. Things have been slightly different between the cousins, mainly because of Kono's sudden change of heart. She seemed cold, distant and sad. Chin didn't like seeing her like that.

"What are you doing here, cuz? You scared the hell out of me," said Kono while walking to the kitchen. "Coffee?"

"No thanks," he rejected politely while Kono put the water to boil. "I'm here because I'm worried, cuz. You've been acting strange lately," said Chin and watched her look away from his glance. "Is everything all right?"

"Of course, Chin," she replied, fake laughing. It was one of her ways to persuade people into thinking that she was fine when – she wasn't. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I wasn't eavesdropping, I just heard something along the way to the office," he said, watching Kono's head lift up. Her eyes were restless. "I know you're having a hard time. Because... because of recent events. I want you to know that you can talk to me about it."

"How – how do you know about it?" asked Kono anxiously. Chin seemed surprised with her question.

"Kono, everyone already knows," he simply concluded, watching her anxiety grow.

"_Everyone? _He – he told –" she didn't finish her sentence. Chin decided to take over.

"Cuz, Adam is in a tough situation. He still loves you."

"_Adam?_" asked Kono, feeling a big relief. Chin _didn't _know about last night, after all. Then, she realised – she was doing a terrible job at hiding what happened. She seemed too reckless when it came to Adam. Knowing Chin, she had to put a good show on to lead him off trail. "Oh," she said in a tone that gave away misery. It wasn't a genuine one. It was a part of the show.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you before. I had no idea until he called-"

"He c-called?" sobbed Kono suddenly, throwing herself in Chin's arms. He hugged her and smiled comfortingly.

"Listen, that's not something you should think about right now. But, so that you know, you don't have to be so strong all the time, cuz. I'm there for you," he said and Kono let a loud sob out, whilst staring out of the window. She didn't care about Adam.

* * *

Steve's fingers nervously tapped on the table, as he was patiently observing the door of the cafe he was in. The cup of coffee in front of him was making him nappy as he breathed the sweet smell of it. He was running out of patience. That was until a somewhat short figure, stopping by the entrance, showed up. Memories inside Steve's mind suddenly came to life. Short memories were playing in his head. The person noticed him and headed towards the table he was sitting at. Steve took a deep breath and, stopping the reminiscing, glanced at the newcomer he hadn't seen in a while.

* * *

Impatiently typing on the keyboard – for no necessary reason – Danny was waiting. This was another morning gone to waste while the case wasn't unravelling. Nevertheless – things were getting more and more blurry. He couldn't get a clear perspective. The case made no sense. Max promised something solid, specific. Steve said he'd be here. Chin said he'd only take a second. Kono promised to bring him a cup of coffee because he seemed so 'stressed out'. Yet, not a word from any of them.

* * *

Chin and Kono walked into the office in a rush. Danny sighed, putting both hands on the keyboard, supporting himself.

"Finally," he whined. At the same time, Danny's phone vibrated. _Max Bergman_. "Right, why shouldn't everything happen at the same time?" he groaned to himself and read the new message while Chin and Kono approached the keyboard.

"Sorry, Danny – we had a problem," apologised Chin.

"A problem?"

"Yeah, it's nothing. We took care of it," added Kono.

"Good, because – uh – we don't have time for additional problems. Max wants us to get down to the crime scene – right now."

"Let's get going, then," suggested Chin and all three of them headed to the door.

"Wait, where's McGarrett?" asked Kono, as though nonchalantly whilst walking out of the office.

"He had, of course, something important to do. I wonder if it's climbing trees or fishing for sharks this time," complained Danny. Chin found his remark amusing while Kono discretely rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Good to see you again," Steve broke the silence.

"Not so much, sonny. You look terrible," noticed Joe White who just took a seat opposite Steve. Steve didn't bother to explain.

"Joe, I need your help," he said seriously, glancing at Joe's clear, sharp eyes.

"Anything, son. With what may I help you?" asked Joe, unnecessarily formally. He spoke slowly but with a certain dose of serenity.

"I'm guessing you know about Haku Iona's escape?" hinted Steve.

"Whose?"

"Come on, Joe," said Steve seriously. Joe could read his mind. He was anxious. Joe refused to answer for a moment or two. His hesitation was irritating.

"Might have heard something about it," he finally spoke in a distinguishing accent.

"Something? What do you know, Joe?" Steve's tone was sharp and low.

"Depends on what you need, sonny. We're talking classified," explained Joe after a shorter pause. Steve took his time with Joe – he knew he'd get the required information – sooner or later. Joe was very helpful.

"Joe, you're acting like you're talking to a rookie. I was in the Navy!"

"Exactly," replied Joe slowly, pronouncing the word with such articulation that Steve almost felt offended. "You _were_, Steve. Navy business no longer concerns you," he replied calmly. Steve clenched his teeth as his fist hit the table. Joe didn't even blink at his sudden reaction.

"It _doesn't concern me_? What happened to you, Joe? Huh? You no longer want to help me? Or what, what's the deal? Are _you_ backing out, too? Tell me 'because I really wanna know!" Steve spat angrily. Joe remained as calm as he was.

"I _do _want to help you, Steve, but you're forgetting something here," he said. "I am no longer in the service, in case you forgot."

"Am I supposed to feel bad because of that?" yelled Steve. "You could have left me there, Joe, I never asked for your help!" Joe's eyebrows rose.

"Left you there to die? Steve, you're talking nonsense. And that _is_ correct. You never asked for help. But we helped you anyway, Steve. You know why?"

"Honestly? No! I don't know!"

"Let me tell you. On any other day, you would have helped us. And you did, Steve. You helped everyone else every other day except that day – when _you_ needed help. If I could change things – I wouldn't. I would help you a million times, sonny. And, let me tell you something else – things never changed," Joe said and pulled his phone out. Steve was looking at him, silently. Lieutenant Commander White's words made an impact on him. They comforted him.

"This is Lieutenant Commander Joe White," addressed Joe himself on the phone. "I'd like to talk to Commanding Officer Gutches," spoke Joe and paused for a few moments.

"Wade, this is Joe White. Remember the favour you owed a few years back?"

* * *

Dr. Bergman wasn't resting at the time the trio arrived. By the looks of his face, Max was either impressed or terrified.

"Max, you called," said Chin. "Got anything new?"

"Why yes – yes, I did," said Max distantly. "Gentlemen – and lady – I do have something new. We are dealing with a group of very good makeup artists," announced Max. Danny couldn't restrain himself, he let out a loud laugh of desperation without letting Max explain his bizarre conclusion. Danny clapped his hands, slowly walking around.

"This! Is – Unbelievable!" he started. Chin made a 'oh no, here we go again' face. "We have been on this case for – three. Three! Days. And not only we made no progress but we, hah, made a step back! In the wrong direction!" he yelled. Max didn't get discouraged by Danny's reaction. Instead of interrupting him, he let him get this out of his system. It was the only way he was going to listen.

"So – what are you telling us, Max? That the whole world is being scammed by makeup – _makeup artists ?_ This is not the only case. There are. Thirty. Other. Cases. Just like this one! _None of them has been solved! How the hell would a makeup artist pull that off?" _he finally stopped and sat down on the cell bed. He ran a hand down his face and looked at Max. Danny looked like he was about to cry.

"I am sorry about your nervous breakdown, Detective," commented Max, only making Danny's face redder. "But you didn't let me finish. You see, while I was looking around – for the third time, in fact – I found something seemingly irrelevant. But, it bothered me so I, naturally, took a better look at it. What I discovered was almost ridiculous – even to a person like myself," he added.

"My discovery was a very small piece of gum and its colour very much reminded me of – human skin tone. The reason these people have never been caught is because they have different identities. I assume – that those thirty people are less than ten, in fact; I assume they are a very small – but effective – crime organisation.

"The gum I found is in fact a missing piece of a mask." Danny's head lifted up. Kono's eyebrows narrowed.

"Whoa, whoa, wait. Max, are you telling us that whoever helped Haku Iona wore a mask?" she asked.

"If my assumptions are correct then – yes, I believe so."

"Then our chances of getting a match in _any_ database are equal to zero! How do we identify that guy if he actually looks completely different?"

"I'm afraid that's impossible – the masks seem to perfectly fit the faces. They don't even seem to be wearing masks. But, we might have some luck. This missing piece will make its owner fix it. Which leaves us the possibility of locating every place that does such fixes."

"Don't you think that's a bit extreme? I mean, if they really get their masks done some place here, wouldn't someone recognise those masks?" asked Kono.

"I believe the word you're looking for, Max is – classified," said Chin. "Those faces are only familiar to the members of elite law enforcement organisations and high-profile task forces. They were never familiar to the public. A random artist could make such a mask, without even knowing whose it for."

"Affirmative," Max confirmed Chin's theory. "And – there is always the possibility of illegality."

"Oh, you mean those people knowing what they're doing?"

"Yes. And knowing exactly _who_ they're doing it for."

"So, uh, what you're really trying to say is – we are dealing with an anonymous, well organised, efficient and _dangerous_ organisation? And we have no place to start digging?" suddenly asked Danny.

"That is partially correct, Detective. Only the first part of your well thought conclusion is correct. The other, however, isn't. We have a very good place to start at."

* * *

_A/N2; I bet you thought Steve was waiting for Catherine to show up, didn't you? ;)_

* * *

_**I WILL WRITE FOR REVIEWS.**__  
_


	7. Ka Ha'ule A Hui

**Chapter VII – Ka Ha'ule A Hui – [ The fall of the team ]  
**

**A/N; Your comments have been amazing. Thank you so much, you guys rock! **

**As promised, there is a bit of action in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it. There will be more, though. **

**Again, apologies for the mistakes. **

**Remeber to write a review – they really do make my day! **

**And I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know!  
**

* * *

The impatience in the air was almost tangible. It was expected for everyone to be well rested and ready for action. But, no one seemed to get any sleep the previous night. The Sun's dazzling rays were now presenting an issue for all three members of the team. Except one – who was still absent. His presence, however, was expected shortly. Once they heard the creaking of the tires, Chin and Danny lifted their heads up and squinted through the light. The yellow Camaro, registered as WARP 9, parked a bit further than they were standing and two figures got out of it - a short one and a visibly taller one. Finally, McGarrett was here.

"It was about time," commented Danny tiredly. Steve, walking up to them, stopped and looked at them three.

"What happened to you three?" he asked, mostly aiming the question at Chin Ho and Danny – it was a bit awkward for him to talk to Kono. She didn't even bother to look at him. Steve was now starting to wonder how big his mistake was.

"Nothing – what?"

"I told you to go home and get some sleep," said Steve and rolled his eyes. "You look terrible," he noticed and headed towards the small shop they parked in front of.

The walls were bricked, pale creamy coloured, and the windows seemed new – they were green and polished. The place looked like a little candy shop.

"Listen up, we're not leaving without information," said Steve seriously before they entered. "Do what you have to do but try not to use your guns. We have _no_ idea who we're dealing with. Understood?"

Their entrance was followed by a small bell's ring as they tried to look casual and relaxed. The whole thing being Max's idea, Steve suggested he should pull the first move. Being more of an order than suggestion, Max agreed – only if they got his back.

_We've always got your back, buddy._

Steve's genuine words made Max feel better.

There was a woman standing behind the wooden counter, discretely glancing at them. Her eyes were cautious. Max approached her and began small talk, as the rest of them team was _looking around_.

"Hey, how does Max even know this place?" asked Steve quietly, with his back turned against Danny's.

"Uh, he mentioned something about Star Trek fans reunion... I didn't ask any further," said Danny, making Steve grin.

"_Oh, we stopped making these a while ago," _said the tall brunette behind the counter. "_You said you needed... Star Wars costumes?" _she asked whilst checking Steve out. He didn't seem like a Star Wars fan.

"Yes – yes, precisely so," answered Max. Luckily, he was a big nerd so the woman seemed to buy his story. She didn't ask further questions.

"_This is the address," _she gave Max a small piece of paper. "_Tell them Bree sent you." _

Max nodded and quietly took the piece of paper, leaving the shop in silence, as the team followed.

"Did any of you believe what she said? That they stopped making masks because they didn't sell?" asked Chin.

"No," replied Steve decisively. "She's hiding something. She knows we're cops."

"Great," murmured Danny. "So what do we do now?"

"We check the place out. It's the only thing we have so far."

"But... it could be a trap," noted Kono seriously.

"I know," Steve looked at her. "I know."

* * *

"Remember, be careful. Chin, stay here with Max. Try to figure out if this place has a second entrance," said Steve and looked at the storehouse. It looked derelict. "Danny and I are coming in, Kono cover us," he said and clenched his gun tightly. "Let's move."

Steve knew something was wrong. Everything seemed so strange about this place. Leaning his back against the dirty wall, Steve made a short pause between breaking in. Walking in a slightly squatting position, Steve paced on the old linoleum as he was looking around. The place was empty. No trace of anything, let alone masks. Except...

There were various boxes stacked up against the wall opposite them. Without hesitation, Steve slowly approached them, making quick turns to make sure no one would sneak up on him. Danny was doing the same on the other side. Steve used his gun to remove the cardboard cover. Then, he looked at a large piece of paper with red letters stamped on. In fact, they were scribbled on in a very unusual way.

_Congratulations, team._

_You managed to fail. It was only a matter of time when I would be victorious._

_And..._

_When you would fail._

_Congratulations, team._

_Now you will pay._

Steve held his gun tightly in his right hand while reaching for the headphone in his ear with his other hand.

"Chin, this is a trap. I repeat – this is a trap," he spoke silently. "Get out of here, now."

* * *

Pulling the piece of paper out of the box, Steve slowly made a turn. Then, he felt his heart race as he saw a glance, opposite the room. A tall man, with a black mask, was pointing a gun at Danny's head.

Danny had a gun pointed at his head and Steve had just told Chin to leave.

* * *

Chin was nervously dialling Steve's phone. No answer. He tried dialling Danny's number – no answer. And neither did Kono answer her phone. Feeling a rush of panic, Chin ran a hand down his face and sighed. The office door opened and Chin, reaching for his gun, felt the joy inside him disappear. For a brief moment, he thought that the rest of the team was back. A group of four people entered the office. Noticing Chin's gun, they stopped their pace and raised their hands in the air. Unnecessary, it was.

"Hold it right there, sonny," said Joe White. "No need to shoot us."

"Joe," mumbled Chin and put the gun back to its place. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to help you," he replied without hesitation. "I believe you remember Officer Gutches," Joe made a remark as the two men shook hands.

"Oh, sure," said Chin and shook his hand. Joe then introduced a Seal Team Nine member, unfamiliar to Chin. And, the last person, standing still aside Gutches caught Chin off guard.

"Detective Kelly," she addressed him formally, reaching her hand out. Chin, hesitating for a moment in disbelief, shook her hand.

"Lieutenant Rollins," he said distantly.

"I heard you needed our assistance," Officer Gutches broke the silence. "And, quite frankly, we'd would be happy to help the team that saved our butts more than once," he said in a strong accent. Joe smiled.

"By the way, where is the rest of the team?" asked Joe, looking around the empty office.

"The help you just mentioned," said Chin. "I think they could use it right now."

* * *

Sliding his pale fingers, jewelled with expensive rings, over the mask, the tall man pulled his mask off. Steve needed a moment to take a deep breath. Staring at the old man's vicious, black eyes, Steve felt rage.

"You son of a bitch," he gnashed, clenching his gun even tighter. The man seemed to be amused with Steve's desperation. Two shorter figures then appeared each aside Danny as the tall man took a step toward Steve.

"Now, now, Commander... You don't want to do something folly, do you?" the man spoke. The black mask fell on the floor and Steve could clearly see the face of a murder, the face of a criminal – the face of Haku Iona.

"What do you want? Huh? More innocent lives? More useless money?" asked Steve sharply, constantly clenching and releasing his grip around the gun.

"I want what is mine, McGarrett," he said with a glimpse of madness in his eyes. "I want the year you – _stole _– from me back! Do you know how much money had gone to waste? Do you know how many of my people are now behind bars?"

"I hope they rot in hell," he said angrily in a very low tone. Danny wasn't moving until one of the shorter figures pushed him into the wall. Steve winced and Haku Iona raised his voice.

"Do _not_ move, McGarrett! Make one little step and your_ dear friend_ dies," he said mercilessly. "Put that gun down!" he ordered. Steve felt like the last spark of hope was slowly drifting away. That gun was his last hope to get Danny alive out of here. The two men blindfolded him and tied his hands roughly, with a piece of wire. Danny was enduring the pain in a stoic manner, he did not let out a sigh let alone a word. He was still and motionless. Steve was having a really hard time watching him like that. But, he had to do as he was told.

Slowly putting the gun on the ground, Steve raised his both hands as he remained kneeling. Somehow, he was glad that Danny had his back turned at him. It made him feel better that Danny wasn't able to see him, kneeling like that. Being defeated.

"Ah, this brings back so many memories," said Haku as he drifted away in his thoughts. Quickly, however, his glance stopped at Steve's kneeling figure and a twisted smile spread across his face. "Who knew it would end this way. Who knew that Steve McGarrett would totter and fail?" he spoke in a pensive way, mostly to himself. Then, Haku's hand made a small twist and another man, much bulkier, approached Steve. Aiming the gun at his chest, the man hesitated to shoot as he heard Haku's cough.

"Say goodbye to your friend, McGarrett. But... He won't be long after you," he said. The two men standing aside Danny abruptly turned him around, letting him face the scene in front of him. Danny's eyes suddenly became red, filled not only with tears but sadness and fear. He wasn't afraid of them, though, he was afraid of something else. Something worse than death. He was afraid of losing Steve, watching the hero take his final breath. Danny wanted to rip the wire off, no matter the wounds around his wrists, and shoot the men who had Steve kneeling with his head low down. He wanted to tell him they'd be okay. But, it didn't seem to happen.

Steve's eyes met Danny's and every single quarrel they had suddenly started rewinding in his mind. Steve didn't move his gaze of Danny, even though Haku Iona ordered him to do so. The man, holding his gun aimed at Steve, raised it a bit higher, aiming at his very heart and moved his finger onto the trigger. It happened in a millisecond – one quick twitch and the gun fired. The bullet flew through the air into the flesh, as loud screams echoed through the vast room.

* * *

Steve's breath broke off. His heart was racing as his eyes met the dead body in front of him. It all happened so fast – before Haku Iona could react – the door opened hastily and gunfire began. Two men aside Danny yelled something in Hawaiian and reached their guns.

Joe White pulled the trigger of the rifle he was holding and shot one of the men directly in the chest. Steve grabbed his gun immediately and just as he got up, he threw himself on the floor as more of Iona's men were rushing in. Steve rolled on the floor while bullets were flying out of his gun, taking them down one by one. Officer Gutches took down one of the men in a hand-to-hand fight while Seal Team Nine members took care of the newcomers. Steve stood up and felt a hand on his shoulder. Then, turning his head slowly around he saw a man hold a gun aimed at him. Steve went to raise his hands to distract him and, as the man treated himself with a moment of inattention, knocked the gun out of his hand. He fell on the floor, grabbing Steve's leg, making him fall on the ground. Steve's gun flew to the other side, out of his reach. The man's fist soared towards Steve who, rolling away on the floor, managed to avoid the hit. Steve then took him down with a single shot, after reaching for his gun while the man was cluttered with empty cardboard boxes.

Steve finally looked up and caught Kono's glance. Nodding at her, he gave her a little smile. Kono nodded back whilst holding her rifle. She saved his life.

* * *

"You okay there, sonny?" asked Joe White as he observed the room. They must have taken over fifteen men down. Steve was frowning.

"I'm fine," he replied distantly as his eyes kept searching around the room. "Where's Haku Iona?" he spat and Joe took a good look around. No sign of him. He surely wasn't amongst the dead bodies on the floor. "Damnit!" gnashed Steve and ran a hand down his face.

"Don't worry, son – we _will _catch him."

"What if-"

"_Steve_ he is fifteen men short. He has no back up, nowhere to go. It's just a matter of time before we catch him," said Joe in a comforting tone. Steve let out a loud sigh, suddenly remembering Danny's red eyes.

"Wait – where's Danny?" he asked anxiously, looking around the room. Then, he saw him at the place he was standing earlier, lying on the floor with his hands still tied. Steve rushed to him in a second. "_Danny! Danny, can you hear me?" _he shouted, shaking his motionless body. Blood was dripping from his forehead, making a small puddle on the floor. Danny's eyelids moved and he blinked. Steve felt like he was going to explode. Steve looked at Joe for a brief moment who immediately dialled the ambulance. "Hey, listen to me, Danny. Are you okay?" he asked, suddenly realising how dumb his question was. But, Danny didn't seem to be severely injured. Danny wiggled on the ground and, with Steve's help, sat with his back against the wall. "Thank God," said Steve and put his hand on his shoulder. Crouching, he looked down and sighed. Danny was glancing at him.

"I thought..." spoke Danny hoarsely. "I thought this was – your, uh, end."

"So did I, buddy. So did I," said Steve and smiled at him. Danny was fine.

* * *

The ambulance arrived shortly and took Danny to the hospital. Even though he was protesting loudly, the doctors insisted so Danny eventually had to give up. Officer Gutches and his team left, and Steve stayed – waiting for the forensics to arrive. He was standing outside the warehouse, with his arms crossed on his chest. Sighing deeply, he decided to turn around as he heard footsteps. Steve hoped it was Kono – he wanted to thank her. And apologise for being an ass. And maybe tell her something else, something that had been bothering him for a while. Ever since the kiss happened.

Unfortunately, it wasn't Kono. It was Catherine. Her slow pace towards Steve drove him crazy. He turned his head to her, without a word. Steve was speechless.

"Hey," she said quickly, standing opposite him. Steve looked away, doing his best not to do something stupid. Or say, at least. The silence lasted for about a minute until Catherine spoke again. "Steve, I know you don't want to talk to me-"

"Listen to me, you don't know anything!" he suddenly burst. "What do you want Catherine? Why do you keep doing this?" he requested an answer from her, looking at her miserably.

"I'm sorry Steve, I - I didn't realise that you didn't want to see me again," she said quietly. Steve felt numb.

"How can you say that?" he started, desperately. "Do you know how many times I almost drove off by your house? Do you know how many times Danny had to talk me out of calling you? Do you know how many times I bargained with _God_ just to make you come back? Catherine, you broke me into little pieces. And those pieces broke into even smaller pieces. What do you want me to say? Welcome back?" his voice was sad. It almost sounded like it was going to break soon.

"No, Steve... I don't expect you to love me after everything but... Well, what I did was – was... It was wrong. It was stupid. I left because I was afraid, all right? Of losing you. And that fear made me give you up... The fear of losing you made me lose you, Steve! It sounds so dumb right now, huh..." Steve stared at her.

"I missed you," she said, smiling desperately while her eyes were set on the ground. Then, forgetting everything he had promised Danny, Steve pulled her in his arms and embraced. "Sailor..." she whispered and Steve's embrace got tighter. He ran his fingers through her hair, smelling the scent of roses. The sane part of him knew this was a mistake. But, the sane part of him never really got a vote.

"I hate this so much," he said hoarsely. "Why'd you have to go, huh? Why?" he asked. Then he closed his eyes. He could hear cars approaching them. But, he didn't open his eyes or let her go. Steve kept her in his arms while Kono got out of her car. One glimpse of them together was enough for Kono to completely die inside.

* * *

A/N; I wanted to end this chapter with a cliff hanger but I didn't, well not really. I wanted to end it where the bullet was fired, assuming it shot Steve. But I didn't! I hope the ending is fine anyway. And, don't worry about Cath showing up, a lot will happen in the next chapters. ;)

_**I WILL WRITE FOR REVIEWS!**_


	8. Huikau

**Chapter VIII – Ka Huikau – [ The mix-up ]**

**A/N; Your feedback has been beyond amazing! Guys, you are incredible and I appreciate every single one of your brilliant comments. Keep them coming!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter as I put a lot of thought into it. Don't worry – this is not near the end – I have at least seven chapters more, coming throughout the following weeks. More action in the next chapter – I promise! **

**Again, apologies for the mistakes that might occur. You know the deal – I was too lazy. Forgive me!**

**And remember; Reviews make my day!**

**Now I will let you enjoy this chapter, I certainly enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

Steve had no clue how much time had passed with Catherine in his arms. Opening his eyes, he saw Danny leant against his silver Camaro, pretending to be interested in Max's newest theory. While, really, his eyes were glancing at the hugged stills of Steve and Catherine. Boy, Steve wasn't going to hear the end of _that_.

"Why don't you, uh, meet me later?" suggested Steve, finally looking into Catherine's eyes. "I have something to deal with, it won't take long."

"Yeah, sure," replied Catherine.

"'Kay, see you soon," he said and kissed her forehead, letting her go finally. Steve watched her for a moment and then headed towards Danny. He did not seem happy – at all. Steve stood right next to Danny, trying to make him talk. Or yell, at least but – Danny remained silent. Even when Max left. He didn't even look at Steve, once.

"Any news?" asked Steve, breaking the silence. It took Danny a while to answer him as he seemed like the thing he would rather do is – punch him in the face. Steve looked at Danny's wrists, wrapped in small pieces of gauze and at his patched up forehead. "Hey, you all right?"

"Yes, I am _fine,_" he managed to say quietly.

"What's the matter, Danny?" Steve asked, beginning to sound worried. Danny let out a loud sigh before glancing at Steve.

"We almost got killed – today, Steven. Uh, I thought I'd never see you again, you douchebag."

"Danny, I'm here, everything's okay."

"Yes, Steve, it is! But you know what? I thought you'd want to see how your team was doing instead of running off with Catherine!"

"_Running off? _I didn't go anywhere!"

"Please – tell me that you told her it's over. Tell me you kissed her _goodbye_. Not _see you later_. But you can't tell me that because – it's not true!"

"Can I ask you something, Danny?" asked Steve, agaze at the distance. "If Rachel told you she wanted to give it another try, would you do it? Would you get back with her?" Danny stared at Steve blankly, not believing he had just played the 'Rachel card'. It took him a while before he answered, simply because he had not seen this coming – at all.

"Steve, that is – that is completely different! I was married to Rachel, we have a daughter! You _cannot_ compare the two!"

"Still, you were in love. And that matters, right?"

"Um, yeah, of course it matters... but-"

"Well then it doesn't seem _that_ much different," said Steve and briskly digressed from Danny.

* * *

The sounds of waves crashing woke Steve up. For a quick moment, he thought he dreamt the past few months. Then, slowly turning on his back, Steve's eyes saw Catherine next to him – still asleep. A wide, genuine smile stretched across his face and moved closer to her. It didn't take him much to wake her up. Catherine looked at him.

"What time is it?" she asked suddenly. Steve was a bit disappointed – he really wasn't expecting such a question after they spent the night together. Still, he was happy to be with her again – he didn't care that much. For now.

"Umm, half past eight," he replied lazily whilst kissing her lips. Catherine kissed him back and wrapped her arms around him, still processing the information. Then, out of nowhere, Catherine winced and pushed him away. Steve looked at her seriously while she got up in a rush.

"I'm late!" she panicked, trying to figure out where her clothes were. Holding the sheets around her body, Catherine clumsily tried to pick her shoes up. Steve rose his eyebrows and smiled.

"It's Sunday, Cath. You have a day off, remember?" he mentioned and watched her sigh.

"Oh," she made a grimace and threw her shoes back on the floor. "I'm sorry, I got... carried away," she explained whilst Steve moved closer to her. Pulling her onto the bed, Steve smiled.

"I don't, uh... blame you," he said slowly whilst kissing her lips. Catherine stopped him, looking him into the eyes whilst stroking his cheek. Then Steve kissed her neck, and her phone went off. Catherine giggled as she tried to reach for it but Steve caught her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. They ignored the call but the second time it went off, Catherine reached for it and sat up. Steve frowned, looking away.

"...I understand. No, it's not a problem. Not at all, sir. Roger that," Catherine spoke into the phone. As she hung up, she picked her shoes up again. Steve didn't seem happy at all.

"You're going?" he asked concisely whilst glowering at her seriously. Catherine smiled ostensibly for a moment and carried on with picking up her clothes.

"I'm sorry, I have to," she said distantly whilst pulling her pants on. Steve did the same as he got out of the bed.

"Okay, I'll see you later then," he noted, feeling a bit down.

"Steve..." she walked up to him. Touching his cheek, she gave him a little smile. "Orders came in this morning. I'm being sent TAD to Yokohama."

"What?" he asked, even though it was perfectly clear what it meant. "Can't they send someone else or something?"

"They can," she smiled weakly. "If that were the case, I would also have to look for another job," she joked, hugging him. Steve embraced her tightly, feeling – not as sad as he thought he would. Maybe it was because a part of him knew it was just a week or two. Maybe it was because a part of him knew she was going to come back. But – a part deep down in him wasn't so sure. And Steve began to ask himself was it possible to have his heart broken? Not again, he was almost sure.

"Well, I'll see you when you come back, then," he said.

"Yeah," she pulled away from the hug. "I'll be back sooner than you think."

"Sounds fair enough," he commented. What she said – it wasn't the first time it was the case. After all, she walked back into his life when he thought the least that she would. Steve broke all the promises he made to Danny and himself, in a blink of an eye. Wondering what he had done, he walked her out of the house and kept staring out of the window once she left. He felt drained, empty and sad.

* * *

Chin's fingers moved quickly across the large screen. Kono was on the line, telling him that she had just seen a man very familiar to Haku Iona at the Kuhio Beach Park.

"_He's moving headed for Kalakaua Avenue_," spoke Kono on the other side of the line. "_I got him_," she said decisively while Chin wrote the coordinates down.

"I'll call McGarrett, Danny is already on the way," said Chin whilst pressing the speed dial button. "And, cuz, be careful," said Chin lastly.

"Don't worry, I know my way around here," said Kono and Chin could imagine her with a smiley face. Kono was definitely more capable than Chin gave her credit for. Mostly because he was just being protective but – Kono definitely wasn't just a rookie – even though it became her nickname, especially around Danny. Kono was a great cop and Chin had no reason to worry. Except that he did.

"_McGarrett,_" Steve answered and Chin assumed he was in a car, since he could hear traffic noise.

"Steve, Kono located Haku Iona on the Kalakaua Avenue," spoke Chin whilst tracking Kono's car. She was tailing Haku Iona's car, making sure he didn't notice. It seemed that he didn't – since he didn't make any sudden turns.

"_I'm driving down the Poni Moi Road, I'll cut him off_," he said and hung up. Chin located Steve's car and called Danny, telling him to return to the Headquarters, since Steve was way ahead of him. Danny protested grumpily but finally listened to him.

* * *

Kono followed Iona's car and parked a bit further away when he stopped by the Beach Road. Pulling her gun out, Kono carefully followed him. Steve all of a sudden appeared behind her and scared her, making her let out a noise. The man noticed them and started running, and Steve and Kono ran after him. The man made a turn, running down the Diamond Head Road. Steve cursed, making sure Kono wouldn't get hit by a car. He ran aside her all the way, until they made a turn to the Diamond Head Beach Park. The man drew his gun on Kono and Steve, without hesitation, shot him twice in the chest. He fell on the warm sand, dead. Kono looked at Steve thankfully.

"Mahalo, Steve," she said and walked up to him. Hugging him for a brief moment, she smiled. Steve felt a flowery scent. His head was a mess.

"I've got your back, remember?" he replied. Then they ran up to the dead body, checking the pulse. Haku Iona was dead. At least they thought he was.

* * *

Listening to the sound of waves and breathing the fresh, Hawaiian air, Steve's eyes were closely observing the vehicles that were bound to leave. The engines started and they drove off, while Steve remained standing on the beach, with his arms crossed. Then, aimlessly tilting his head over at Kono, he noticed she was gone. Steve turned around and saw her typing on her phone, and headed towards her.

"You're, uh, going already?"

"Already?" she quizzed, smiling at him. "I was texting Chin, he seemed a bit stressed out."

"Stressed out?" he repeated, being awfully close to her.

"Yeah. You know Chin, he worries about everything," she replied. Steve wanted to ask her further about it, talk to her, listen to her but standing at the crime scene wasn't exactly the perfect place for it. For a moment ignoring her reply, Steve glanced at her.

"Have you had a lunch break already?" he popped the question out of nowhere, distracting her from the phone.

"_Wha_t?" she looked at him.

"Did – uh – did you have lunch today?"

"I was _about to_ but let's say something came up," she said, grinning at him. Kono also ignored Chin's text, realising he wouldn't back off. She thought she'd just put him on hold, for a while.

"I heard about this new place, fantastic ham-pineapple pizza," he rambled on and paused once he caught her smiley face.

"You're really bad at this," noticed Kono. "Wanna grab some lunch?"

"_Thank you,"_ he replied and let a friendly laugh out. "So, I heard..."

Steve began a somewhat relaxing conversation about the case they were working on a few months back, before the whole _Steve-crisis_ happened. They walked down the beach, up to their cars and, each in their own car, drove off to the place Steve mentioned. He was slowly beginning to think that he was finally getting lucky.

* * *

"Come _on_, Kono," groaned Chin whilst dialling her number over and over again. Danny sighed, glancing at Chin's worried frown.

"Nothing, huh?" asked Danny sluggishly.

"No. I've been calling her ever since Max paid us a visit – no answer. What about McGarrett?"

"Ha," laughed Danny, more desperately than cheerfully. "If Kono isn't answering, then Steve sure as hell won't. They've probably gone to the beach or something..."

"They've become pretty close, huh?" asked Chin. He did not fail to miss an anxious glimpse in Danny's eyes. It, for a second, seemed that he panicked. Chin could find no reason for such reaction. Still, he was cautious. Danny was a very good secret-keeper, especially if it was about keeping the team out of trouble.

Danny quickly looked away, through the window, noticing the grey clouds covering up the blue sky.

* * *

"And then he smacked me in the face, you should have seen him," spoke Steve through laughter and managed to sip some juice whilst wiping of his tearful cheeks. But, he hadn't been crying. In fact, he was laughing so hard tears started streaming down his face. Kono was trying to bite a piece of the pizza off but failed, ending up with pineapple all over her face. It, somehow, made Steve laugh even harder.

"I bet he hated you so much back then," Kono commented once they finally calmed down a bit. Sipping her soda from a straw, Kono looked at the colourful umbrella in the glass and glanced back at Steve. He had already finished his meal, and was looking at her with a wide smile.

"He still does, deep down," joked Steve.

"I seriously doubt that," said Kono, putting her glass down. "Because who could hate a super SEAL like you?" teasing him, Kono bite her upper lip in an attempt to remove the pineapple. Steve, however, felt a crazy rush of adrenaline. He looked out of the window they were sitting by and noticed the rain drizzle down the sky.

"You can always find someone," he uttered. "Listen, Kono," he started, making her eyes roll in a heartbeat. Whenever he'd say _listen, Kono _she'd end up crying for some reason.

"Steve, please," she interrupted, glancing at him. "You don't have to do this."

"I just wanted to-"

"I _know_ what you wanted to, Steve. I'm telling you you don't have to. Not now."

"But..." he mouthed, looking at her seriously. "I admire you, your strength."

"Pfft, my strength? Steve, you're a SEAL. You're, like, made of iron. Now, _that's_ an admirable strength. No bullet can take you down," she said in a friendly tone and put her hand on the table, reaching for his.

"It's just a matter of time, Kono," he started. "I'm not invincible. I'm just trained, that's all. _But you,_ nothing breaks you. Can I borrow your endless optimism?" he said, squeezing her hand lightly.

"If you find a way, sure," she replied in a joke. His hands weren't cold anymore. _He_ wasn't cold anymore.

"Listen," he insisted. "I'm such a mess. And I'd probably be an even bigger mess without you."

"Steve, I can't take _all_ the credit. Chin and Danny have been there, too, all the time."

"Yeah, they have and I can't ever thank them enough for it. They've seen me break down and cry, and still, I'm unbreakable in their eyes," he spoke in a relaxing tone as the rain made soothing noises whilst falling against the window. "But you've been there and _still_ are."

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, I already heard it from Danny last night about getting together with Cath..." he spoke, thinking she already knew about it. Kono had no clue. No idea. Nothing could have prepared her for this. She gulped slowly, looking away for a moment. Steve was occupied with his thoughts, probably about Cath, so he failed to notice her moment of restlessness.

"You're getting back together?" she asked anxiously. Steve ran a hand down his face, sighing shortly and glanced back at Kono.

"I, uh, don't know – no, _no,_ probably not," Steve muttered. Kono suddenly felt better, less anxious. Still, he said _probably_, which left possibilities open. Nevertheless, Kono couldn't understand Steve nor his actions. He must have been in a worse place than she thought – seeming as he took Cath back without a question.

"I need time, whatever happens. And I need you to be there, Kono, like you were before," admitted Steve silently, looking at her and eagerly waiting for her response. He needed her so badly, it was almost selfish.

"Steve," she said sharply. Steve suddenly became aware of the situation from someone else's point of view. He couldn't forget about the kiss. And yet, he was selfishly asking her to be there for him while he was there for someone else. Without a doubt, his mind was a mess.

"Remember this," she continued edgily. "I will _never_ leave your side. _We_ are a _team_. Leave no man behind, remember? And I sure as hell won't leave you behind. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever." Kono whispered the last part and Steve's head became an even bigger mess. A part of him wished to stay here, like this – trapped in this moment – forever. And that was silly because... Well, because Commander McGarrett didn't believe in forever. He only believed in _right now_. But things change, people change – feelings change... And Commander McGarrett was pretty sure one of those things changed in that very moment.

* * *

"Danny?" Chin asked loudly. Danny winced, his closed eyes slowly adapting to the daylight as he opened them.

"Uh, yeah, Chin," he murmured, turning away from the window he hadn't even been staring at. "I don't know what's going on. And I – honestly – don't care. What I do care about is McGarrett finding out that the man they caught wasn't Haku Iona. I can't _wait_ for him to hear that the guy they shot was only wearing a mask," said Danny, stressed out, whilst looking at the big screen in front of them. Multiple pictures, taken that very day – in banks, restaurants, cafes – were showing the very same face – Haku Iona's face. However, Detective Kelly and Detective Williams were now completely sure that this case reached a whole new level. Haku Iona now had multiple walking imitations of himself, securing his freedom – at least for a while. And as the rain began pouring down, the worried faces of the Detectives became dark – showing fear and concern.

As Danny scrolled down the list of the men presenting the same person, he kept thinking that last night might not have been the only time he will see Commander McGarrett – looking face to face with death.

* * *

A/N2; I really hope you enjoyed this. The end isn't much of a cliff hanger but – it certainly left a lot of questions unanswered. Hope you're happy with it. Expect more action, suspense and cliff hangers in the next chapter. ;)

_**Next chapter – next week! **_

_**I WILL WRITE FOR REVIEWS.**_


	9. Ha'ule

**Chapter IX – Ha'ule - [ **_**The Fall**_** ]**

**A/N; I just wanted to quickly thank you for the feedback – it has been beyond amazing. Keep those reviews coming, they mean the world to me and surely help me write!**

**As usual, I apologise for any mistakes you might find.**

**It was pretty late when I was writing it so apologies if it isn't that good – I was just too excited and wanted to post this on time! **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

The grey clouds were covering up the blue sky, and drops of rain began drizzling down until it turned into pouring. It was raining heavily, which did not benefit at all to Detective Kelly's already down mood. His eyes were cautious, as they often were lately, and he was eagerly expecting someone to show up. Then, covering his somewhat dry head with files, Detective Williams ran up to the car hurriedly and sat straight inside. They did not speak until Chin drove off to the highway, where they exchanged their concerns.

"Danny," began Chin slowly whilst his both hands were on the steering wheel. Thus far, he did not look at Danny who had his glance fixed on him. Everything about this day seemed to bother Danny and Chin could sense it, like no one else could. "Are you thinking about what Max told us?"

"Uh – yeah," confirmed Danny, his voice trailing off slowly as he spoke. "Where do we even start?"

"Let's check all hospitals first. They have to report a gunshot wound and if we have any luck, they did."

"But what if he never went to a hospital? Haku Iona obviously isn't a fool. He could have gone somewhere else, somewhere we can't track him."

"Maybe..." agreed Chin, glowering at Danny quickly. "Let's just hope he was injured enough to seek professional help. I mean – two gunshot wounds..."

"Yeah, uh – let's hope," said Danny darkly, looking out of the window. If it was possible – he was getting more and more worried as this case dragged on. They were running out of time – and this was the first time they weren't even aware of the trouble ahead.

* * *

Putting his arm around her, Steve tightly held her whilst walking up the few stairs to her house. Kono was blabbering something and her giggles made Steve want to laugh. But – he couldn't – he had to take care of Kono who seemed to have drunk a _bit_ too much.

"Hey, hey, easy," said Steve whilst making sure she didn't trip over the stairs. It was still pouring from the sky – which didn't help at all – it only made the steps slipperier. Steve stopped for a moment but Kono made a move forward and – slipping on the wet stairs – lost balance. Steve panicked for a moment as she was falling from his arms and quickly grabbed her hand before she hit the ground. Kono held onto him tightly, making a grimace.

"Ouch," she said lazily, looking at her ankle. It pained her a bit; however, it wasn't a serious injury. It might have been the alcohol that made her over exaggerate.

"Kono, you all right?" yelled Steve, supporting her. They somehow made it inside the house, leaving wet traces behind themselves. Steve carried her to the couch and Kono had her arms wrapped around his neck. "You okay?" he asked again, worriedly.

"Yeah..." she whispered, moving her head closer to his. Steve felt her warm breath on his neck, and looking into her brown eyes made him stand still, without moving a muscle. Kono closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his so gently yet sweetly – Steve felt a million emotions – as if he was going to explode from the sudden rush of adrenaline. His knees were trembling and he was doing his best to keep holding her.

"I'm _fine_," she breathed into his ear, resting her head on his shoulder. Steve bit his lower lip, tasting the sweet flavour of cherries that had been haunting him ever since the night on the beach. A part of him wanted her – right now – right here. He was fighting everything inside him – he was battling his own mind, telling him it was time to move on. But there was a side to him – a guardian side – that made him lay her down on the sofa as her eyes remained closed. Making sure she was safe and sound, he covered her with a blanket he had spotted and ran his fingers through her hair. As his phone went off, Steve glanced at her one more time before he left.

* * *

"McGarrett," said Steve sharply whilst his glance was set on the road ahead.

"_Steve, where are you?"_ asked Danny in an unusually calm tone.

"Going back to the office, why – why?"

"_Can you meet me at the Hawaii Medical Centar East in twenty minutes?" _

"What? What – has something happened, Danny? What's going on?" he rambled on anxiously whilst clutching the steering wheel tightly.

"Nothing, Steve, everything is fine. It's about the case. Hurry up, will you?"

"I'm on my way," he said and sighed heavily.

* * *

Pulling the car over, Danny sat impatiently, ready to move any minute. The rain that was falling on the window of his car wasn't helping him at all – it made spotting Steve's car a tricky thing. Danny, though, was so stressed out that he started noticing every single detail – hoping things would finally change, gain a dimension, make some sense – so he managed to see Steve's restless figure park his car next to Danny's. Danny made his way out of the car, holding a piece of plastic above his head. Steve didn't mind the rain – as a matter of fact – he was completely ignoring it, letting himself get soaked for the second time that day.

"Hey," greeted Steve quickly as they were walking towards the HMCE, and Danny just groaned, unsatisfied.

"I'd normally ask you what the hell is wrong with you but, uh – we don't have time for that. Haku Iona might have paid this hospital a visit."

"What – why, why would he do that?" asked Steve confusedly as they entered. Allowing Danny to quickly sum up the past events, Steve listened carefully.

They made their way to the second floor. As the elevator door opened, Malia Kelly stormed in, almost bumping into Steve. Her eyes were teary and she seemed stressed out. At first, she didn't even recognize the two men in the elevator until she pressed a button for the first floor.

"Oh my God!" Malia winced, turning to Steve and Danny. "Thank God, I-I didn't know what to do, he-he told me not to call anyone..." she started murmuring through tears.

"Calm down, Malia, tell us what happened," said Steve calmly.

"There was a man. He c-came and pointed a gun at me. He said to stitch him up, no meds – nothing. Just to stitch him up," she explained, finally catching some air. Steve and Danny walked her to the waiting room and Danny, with a comforting smile, handed her a glass of water. Malia took it and sat down, running a hand down her face.

"What did he look like? What is his name, did he say anything?"

"I don't know, he looked like a local... He said his name was Ian Hakuo but – I've never seen him before."

"What was wrong with _Ian_ ?" asked Danny suspiciously.

"Uh, he had a really bad infection. It looked like someone patched him up recently but it was pretty sloppy. I guess that's why he came here."

"Did you notice anything else about him? Anything at all, Malia?"

"He, um, he seemed to have an injured leg. He was limping but he didn't let me take a look. He left right away and told me not to tell Chin about this... _How did he know his name_ ?" she whimpered desperately, holding the plastic glass of water in her hands.

"Malia, listen to me. Stay here and wait for our call, okay? Don't go anywhere. We'll send two officers in case he comes back. Everything will be all right, okay? Just stay here," said Steve, trying to calm her down. It seemed that the mention of two officers only made her panic, so Danny had to interfere. Once Malia finally got to her senses, and told them that the man left just before they came, Steve and Danny rushed out of the hospital – doing as they promised Malia – and then dialled Chin.

"_Chin, we think that Haku Iona might be using an alias under the name Ian Hakuo, he just left the hospital half an hour ago. Can you get a location?"_

"Give me a second," said Chin whilst hastily typing on the keyboard. A few clicks and he got _a match_. "He is using an ATM at the corner of Kanoelehua and Puainako street _right now_!"

"_We're right down the street, we're on him_."

"Steve, tail him and see where he is going. That way we will know his address so if he runs, he won't have anywhere to hide. I'll call for backup."

"_He won't run this time. Not when I'm done with him,_" said Steve trough clenched teeth. Still, he listened to Chin and slowly drove off, behind the red truck that was racing towards the highway.

* * *

The night was slowly devouring the daylight as the silver Camaro parked a bit further away from a ruinous, derelict shack where the road Haku Iona drove on lead to. There was, however, no sign of Haku Iona nor his vehicle. Steve, securing his Kevlar, got out of the car and exchanged looks with Danny whose Kevlar was also on. They paced on the muddy ground slowly, and leant against the wall. Steve nodded to Danny who in a second violently knocked the door open with his hand – one of the things Steve had taught him. Backing him up, Steve followed Danny into the shack.

Kono's tired eyes were looking at them, crammed with panic and fury. Her hands were tied together with a piece of wire, which agonizingly reminded Danny of the pain he had to endure under the same circumstances. Steve glanced at Kono but, as he rushed towards her, a shadow stepped up. Haku Iona's face, glaring from thirst for vengeance, showed up. Elegantly holding the gun, Haku aimed it at Kono's head as Steve froze in place.

"You touch her... You lay a finger on her, I swear to God I will rip your face off," gnashed Steve, and Danny was standing right behind him, guarding his back.

"Ah, Steve," spoke Haku in a poisonous yet charming tone. "You never learn, do you?" placing his finger on the trigger, he sweetly smiled at Kono. Danny winced as two men suddenly busted in – both aiming guns at Steve.

Danny, enraged, without a blink shot one of them. The other one then looked at him and fired a bullet. It flew straight into Danny's chest – straight into his Kevlar. Danny cursed and furiously glowered at his shooter.

"You son of a bitch," he gnarled and moving jumped aside, avoiding another one of his bullets. Then, rolling over, he knocked the gun out of his hand with a quick hand movement. Grabbing the gun that had flew away from him across the floor, Danny stood up, stepping onto the man's chest with one foot. Both guns aimed at him, Danny's eyes were filled with rage.

"You are _not_ going to hunt Steve down, okay? You are _not_ going to touch him. Never again," he spoke furiously, firing two bullets into the man's flesh. He missed enough to keep him alive – he hit well enough to make him suffer, screaming in pain as he rolled on the floor.

Meanwhile, Haku Iona was distracted by the sudden chaos. Things were starting to get sloppy – that was something he couldn't allow any more. Glancing at Kono, he pulled the trigger. Steve didn't fail to miss the movement of his finger and threw himself on Kono, knocking her off the chair. Kono fell down, hitting the dirty wooden floor with her face, feeling blood stream down her cheek. Steve was lying on the floor, his face against the floor – soundless. Danny caught Haku Iona's vicious, satisfied smile and, incapable of controlling himself – fired a bullet straight into his hand. Haku winced swiftly, falling on top of a box pile – filled with glass. The loud sounds of glass being cracked ripped through Danny's ears as he fell on his knees, crawling towards Kono. Pulling off the tape from her mouth, Danny worriedly looked at her. Kono breathed heavily, attempting to speak but the lack of oxygen in her lungs didn't allow her.

"Hey, calm down, let me untie you," he said in a comforting tone, doing his best not to sound a nervous wreck he was. Grabbing the tightly tied wire, Danny slowly but carefully untied the sloppy knots and looked at Kono's bloody wrists. A new set of memories flew through his mind, reliving the memories of the worst night of his life.

Blood.

Hurt.

Pain.

Steve.

_Steve._

Danny immediately turned his head over to Steve who was lying on the floor, not moving.

"_Steve!" _shrieked Kono and tore herself out of Danny's grip, speeding over the floor to Steve's motionless body. Danny hastily turned towards the pile of broken glass – Haku Iona was gone. He escaped, once again, on his watch. Danny felt guilt went about his whole body, shaking him. He was trembling, his bloody fists were holding onto the piece of a wire so strongly that it had imprinted into his skin, leaving bloody marks. Kono's screams and sounds of wood cracking made him wince, Danny's eyes watched the HPD backup break into the shack, with their rifles aimed at Steve. Everyone had their guns aimed at Steve, Danny realised – and it pained him more than anything else in his life. Danny finally answered to Kono, running towards her and Steve. Putting his sweaty palm on Steve's neck, Danny moved his finger up and down – trying to feel a pulse.

Nothing.

"Call the ambulance, now! _NOW, CALL THE AMBULANCE_!" Danny bawled so loudly, yet he couldn't hear himself. He couldn't feel a pulse. Danny's shaking hands were attempting to find a sign of life on his partner's neck but failed. Danny began shouting in panic, until two strong arms lifted him up. Chin was holding him up while Danny grabbed his sleeves, looking into his eyes.

"Chin, Chin – Steve – he – no pulse, he is not breathing!" argued Danny, shaking Chin – as if he didn't hear him.

"Danny! _Danny!" _Chin yelled, trying to calm him down. "He's alive!" he shouted, pointing at Steve's pale figure – attempting to lift himself up into a sitting position with the help of two paramedics. Danny felt his heart skip a beat, he immediately ran to Steve. Just looking at him – breathing – was enough. Danny felt drained, he felt absolutely empty and yet, somehow peaceful – because Steve was breathing.

Loud coughs interrupted Danny's daydream and he fixed his eyes on Steve who was having trouble with breathing. The paramedics were trying to help him as Steve started hyperventilating. Sounds of sirens from outdoor shook Danny's already shivering body and two doctors ran inside. They started shouting loudly, giving Danny a terrible headache. He felt like he was going to pass out – the small room was getting low on fresh air from so many people in it. The thing that woke him completely was catching a glimpse of Steve's eyes that closed rapidly and Kono's screams as the doctors took Steve's unmoving body out of the shack.

Danny's eyes widely opened, staring at Kono. His brain was refusing to believe what his ears were hearing whilst watching Kono weep.

"_I love you, Steve,"_ she cried.

* * *

A/N2; Hope you enjoyed that one. Sorry for the cliff hanger. ;) More action to come and more plot twists, thanks for the wonderful support!

_**Next chapter – in seven days! **_

_**I WILL WRITE FOR REVIEWS.**_


	10. Palahē

**Chapter X – Palahē – [ Crushed ]**

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**A/N; Hey! I would like to apologise for posting later than usual – school has been keeping me busy. :( I hope I post the next chapter much sooner, though! **

**A/N2; Your support and comments have been amazing. I cannot possibly thank you enough. You guys rock. 3**

**Apologies for the mistakes that might occur.**

**More notes at the end. **

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Sirens had never been so loud. A pair of piercing blue eyes had never been so weary. Watching the ambulance slowly storm away, Detective Williams felt pain. Finally, the cuts on his wrists began to sting as a new stream of fresh blood gushed through the open wound. Danny distantly looked up, feeling pain in every single bone in his body. An explosion was upcoming – he was about to burst. Too many things had happened – too soon. He was unready. Unready to deal with the truth. And the truth was – not everyone saw Steve in the same eyes he did. Steve wasn't everybody's hero, after all.

* * *

_I love you!_

_I love you, Steve!_

Rashly opening his eyes, tearing the oxygen mask down, Steve winced. He was going slightly mad.

"Commander McGarrett, you mustn't move. One of the bullets might have pierced your armour," one of the paramedics explained.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? A bitter laugh escaped Steve's mouth as he forced himself up. The paramedics panicked – he had just disobeyed their instructions.

"Armour?" barely spoke Steve, feeling a sharp jolt of pain in his abdomen. It could have been the bullet but flashes of a shiny blade vividly roamed Steve's thoughts. He had been stabbed at the worst possible moment. Time was ticking away – and he was too far from the reality. Their remark was almost painful – Steve wasn't in a fairytale – the prince, on a white horse, in shiny armour.

"Patch me up," he ordered sharply, to what the paramedics responded with confused stares. They couldn't just _patch him up._ Luckily, Steve gave them a very good excuse to break the rules when he pulled out a gun.

"Commander..." the chief resident spoke insecurely, looking away from the gun. "Please – p-put the gun down. We all know it is no use. You-you wouldn't..."

"Oh yeah?" provoked Steve, tiredly. His hand was at rest on the trigger. A wince was enough. Steve's cold, emotionless stare was enough. The chief resident gave brief orders and they patched him up – whilst Steve bit his lips to prevent himself from screaming.

_No drugs, no games, no nothing. I am not Commander McGarrett tonight. I am a man with a gun you should be very afraid of. _

* * *

"Derrick Hawn," listed Chin anxiously as his fingers were sliding over the digital keyboard. Danny was sat opposite him, staring blankly at the faces shown on the flat screen at random. "Lucca Corelli," continued Chin. "And Gavin Dale. Looks like we finally identified these frauds,"

Chin's glance then moved onto Danny's still figure – sitting wrapped in one of Steve's snug sweaters with a cup of hot coffee in front of him.

"Danny, are you okay?" asked Chin worriedly. Perhaps, if his voice hadn't been so friendly and familiar, Danny wouldn't have said a word. But he spoke, the misery within roared.

"Uh, no," he replied with throbbing agony to his tone.

"He will be fine," said Chin in a comforting way, turning his body towards Danny – away from the masked murderers on the screen. "It's Steve."

"What does that even mean?!" suddenly shouted Danny – feeling the misery turn into rage that was finally coming out. "Chin, he hasn't been fine in a long time! How will he be fine if everyone has their rifles pointed at his head? They all want to hunt him down, and - they might," said Danny slowly, uttering every word as his world was falling apart. He felt as though someone had ripped his heart out and began smashing it into little pieces, glaringly – in front of his own eyes.

"What are you saying? Look, we know he has a lot of enemies but that doesn't mean they can hurt him. It's Steve, the Super Seal, remember? Danny?"

"Chin," began Danny in a heartbreaking tone. "Even if he is made of steel... Looks like someone, uh – found a way to break the steel – piece by piece."

It was the first time Danny's words sounded so crystal clear. Completely right and – dreadful. Danger had never been so close – to all of them.

* * *

_12 hours later_

Clutching the umbrella handle tightly, Kono lifted her head up as she heard tires creak in the distance. Glancing at the silver Camaro, Kono felt angst rush through her blood. She ran towards the car, looking anywhere but directly at Danny's bloodshot eyes or wrists wrapped in bandages. Quickly opening the door, Kono sat in the car and remained silent as they drove off.

"Everything all right?" asked Danny after a long, strange pause. Kono weakly shook her head, staring at her own wrapped wrists. She felt like crying.

"Yeah," she replied silently, looking out of the window – staring at the drizzle falling down from the grey sky. "Heard from Steve?"

"No – not yet," replied Danny – equally as briskly. "Chin said he'd call the hospital soon if, uh – they don't call first."

"Oh," drawled Kono, letting the silence carry on.

"Well, is it – uh, true? Do you really love him? Do you really love Steve?" words came out of Danny's mouth, sounding cold and unkind. Somehow, he couldn't help but feel played out – betrayed. Kono glowered at Danny silently, as she couldn't let those words out. The tension, however, was taunting them.

"I thought I was never going to see him again. I freaked out," drawing quietly, Kono kept her gaze off Danny as the rain began falling slower until – it completely had faded from the sky. Danny's eyes became sadder.

"Right," he managed to say. What probably hurt him the most was the fact that he cared the most. He was the one to break down, face death in order to save his partner... his buddy – Steve. Kono finally looked at him; her eyes were watery and red – like Danny had never seen them before – and he felt something fall apart. Something, at the very moment, happened – which he couldn't explain. His heart was breaking for Kono.

"Danny," she whimpered. "I don't know what to do."

"Huh," murmured Danny, concentrating on parking the car in front of the Headquarters building. Pulling the key out, Danny looked at Kono. "Oh, God."

Danny let her rest her head on his shoulder, embracing her with one arm – as much as their sitting position was allowing them at the moment and, letting her breathe, didn't speak.

"I'll be fine," she said weakly, sounding anything but convincing. Danny smiled, looking out of the window.

"Yeah you will. But you, uh, won't be alone, okay?" he said, while fixating his glance on the phone that had just gone off.

_Chin Ho Kelly calling_

Since Danny didn't want to interrupt the moment – seeing Kono really needed it – he let it vibrate for a while until Chin ended the call. Soon enough, though, a text message popped up on the screen.

_Steve's gone and armed._

Kono didn't fail to see the message that Danny nonchalantly attempted to hide from her but – her observant eyes were quicker – and saw it in the moment Danny grabbed the phone.

"Oh my God, oh my God," gasped Kono, lifting her head up quickly. Dialling quickly, Danny pressed the phone against his ear rapidly and waited for Chin to answer.

"What the _hell_ does he think he's doing?" shrieked Danny into the phone. Chin sounded as restless, though a bit quieter.

"_I don't know, but it doesn't sound good. He started gunfire – no one was hurt – and escaped the ambulance. The paramedics mentioned he received a phone call that drove him nuts. No word from him since," _spoke Chin utterly professionally but Danny could sense the anxiety in his voice. "_What could it be, Danny?"_

"Uh, I don't know, Chin. I don't know. Try to trace the caller ID from his cell," said Danny and got out of the car. Kono was staring at him blankly, her eyebrows slightly narrowed.

"He's in trouble, isn't he?"

"Uh-um... yeah," Danny dragged his words on and glanced at Kono. "This time, he's in a lot of trouble."

* * *

_A few hours later_

With no courtesy to knock or open the door – Steve violently pushed the door down – letting the wood fall in big chunks all over the perfectly clean floor. Holding his gun up, he staggered inside – looking around. Everything seemed the same. The flowers were still the same colour, the scent in the air was the same coconut flavour he had gotten used to – the curtains were the same pretty, orange colour. Steve's gun was moving perfectly coordinated along with his body – he kept moving small paces quietly on the wooden parquet. His eyes flew around the vast room – reliving the – what used to be the most beautiful memories – now nostalgic, sad ones.

Stepping up the stairs, Steve began noticing the pictures on the wall in different places – clothes scattered around. Suddenly, as he approached the white door – he heard gasps. Steve's heart was hollow.

* * *

_Earlier_

The pain in his abdomen felt like fire – as if someone was on purpose burning his skin – for mere entertainment.

"Listen to me – if you call _anyone_, I will personally make your life a living hell. ' We clear?" Steve spoke in a madman voice, glaring at the terrified paramedics. They nodded – letting him know that his warnings were perfectly understandable. They, however, seemed paralyzed from fear. As his phone went off, Steve reluctantly looked away from the paramedics, and frowned upon the unknown caller. His heart was racing as he pressed the _answe_r button.

"McGarrett," he spoke sharply, almost shouting into the phone as he felt jolts of pain with his every movement.

"_I was hoping to hear from you,"_ the voice spoke coolly.

"You son of a bitch!" gnarled Steve.  
"_Oh, but – Steven – you must be mistaking me for someone else."_

"Listen to me, whoever you are, I will rip your face off-"

"_Shh! Now, now, Steven. Don't make decisions so rashly. I know my brother is dead because of you. Because of your _friend."

"What?!"

"_Yes... Well, I don't blame him – he was only trying to protect you, wasn't he... You made a murderer out of your friend... your partner... He killed because of you, you know that? _

"_But I am willing to give you a chance. Actually, I am willing to give myself a chance, McGarrett. I won't murder because of you – if you cooperate. I want you to give your badge up, admit you murdered my brother and _rot _in jail."_

"Who do you think you are?" groaned Steve with clenched teeth.

"_Oh, just someone who has your friend around," _he spoke whilst Steve stood up rapidly. "_Kalakaua Avenue, turn left twice. But, you know the place, don't you? You have one hour."_

"Listen to me, I will kill you. I will hunt you down and kill you, got it?" spoke Steve in a terribly frightened yet notorious voice.

"_I really doubt that, McGarrett. Oh, and, no weapons, Steve." _

Steve lifted his head up, covered in sweat – his face was in a death-white colour – and he threw the phone on the ground. Without even looking at the paramedics, Steve left them behind as he clutched the gun in his hand.

* * *

_Later_

The police siren was roaring through the dark night as the car was speeding over the limit. Danny's hands were shaking on the steering wheel. His heart was pounding so loudly he had almost caused a car accident. Chin, sat beside him, was busy talking on the phone. Danny wished to shout, to shush him but that would only cause more trouble.

"Where to?" asked Danny nervously as he turned left down the Kalakaua Avenue. Chin nodded, forming a _two_ with his fingers. Turning left for the second time, Danny stopped the car. Glancing outside the window of his Camaro, Danny saw SWAT teams surrounding a house. Danny stormed out of the car, securing his Kevlar and clutching his rifle tightly, took a deep breath – preparing himself for the worst case scenario.

Two SWAT teams came out of the house, accompanied by doctors who were carrying a body to the ambulance hurriedly. Danny winced in place, feeling Chin's relaxed grip on his shoulder. Then, it was over.

Steve's once blue eyes were now dark, empty and still. His lips were a thin line – seeming as they never smiled before. Danny shouted in panic, trying to reach to him, as Chin grabbed his sleeve and stopped him. With all his strength, Danny tried to tear from his grip but Chin was holding onto him so tightly. A man, presumably from the Navy – Danny concluded seeing his uniform – with strong, Asian face contours, walked behind Steve. His voice sounded calm but poisonous – Danny wished to throw a brick into his _ugly_ face.

"Commander McGarrett, you are under arrest for an attempt of murder of Lieutenant Catherine Rollins. You have the right to remain silent."

* * *

**A/N; Okay, I know what you're thinking. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, NINA, WITH THIS CHAPTER?**

**I know, I know. But I promise you will be happy when this whole story unravels. ;)**

**You will find out what happened when Steve walked through the white door in the next chapter. Also, you will find out many more things in the upcoming chapters (who called Steve, what's the deal with the clothes in Catherine's house is, what's with Steve's badge etc, etc) so I hope you stay tuned! **

**Anyway, write a review and let me know what you think because I think I made a really big mess out of this. Let me know whether it's good or if it sucks. I need to know! :P **

**Hopefully, I will post the next chapter very soon. Can't wait for you to find out what's going on. **

**Take care guys and thank you so much. 3  
**

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_**I WILL WRITE FOR REVIEWS.**_


	11. Pilikia

**Chapter XI – Pilikia - [ Troubles ]**

**A/N; As usual, a quick thank you for your continued support. I love you guys, your comments are amazing and mean the world to me!**

**I apologise for mistakes. Now, enjoy this chapter! :)**

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**Let me know what you think by posting a review! :D  
**

* * *

_Earlier_

The white, wooden door seemed like they were made of steel. Steve's restless eyes were fixed on them as his unsteady hand finally made a movement – towards the golden knob – and slowly pushed the door open. It felt easy, after all, opening the door. But, what Steve faced wasn't easy.

Loud gasps were coming out of Catherine's mouth as blood dripped down her chin slowly. As soon as Steve saw her, he felt his heart skip a beat. It wasn't a good feeling – at all – it was one of those moments you feel like you're going to pass out. Fright spread through Steve's body as he noticed Catherine's arms tied together, and her pale figure curled up on the floor. Wide open, her brown eyes were staring ahead and she seemed almost frozen.

The whole scene only lasted for a second. Failing to notice any movement, Steve rushed towards her, falling down on his knees. His shaking hand flew towards her face, running it down her cheek, Steve stopped to feel a pulse. Catherine's lips moved. Steve felt the hate, rage and sorrow inside crumble, leaving only fear behind. The past months, filled with bitterness, were now far behind. As he was facing her at the very moment, Steve became painfully aware that he might lose her. For good, this time. And something crazy inside him made him want her back, despite it all. Something about that moment killed everything inside him – again. Just as he stood up – he fell back onto the dirty ground, into the painful memories and dark dreams.

Catherine moved, forcing herself to speak.

"Cath," gasped Steve, covering her lips with his fingers. "I'm here, you'll be fine, I promise," he tried to console her but her eyes were looking around anxiously. Her lips couldn't speak but – her body was speaking a million languages. Panic – Steve could sense it. Nothing in the world could have possibly prepared him for this. Just as he thought things couldn't get worse – they did. Things got _the worst_.

* * *

The office had its better days. Days when various files weren't scattered around the floor; when cups of coffee weren't stacked up on the desks and silence wasn't filling up the room. It was roaring -painfully reminding everyone of the night of their defeat. Reliving the screams, and the tears, and the agonizing feelings that unexpectedly prevailed.

Danny's stare wasn't fixed on anything – he was just staring blankly ahead of himself. The coffee in his hand had gotten cold hours ago, but he never even took a sip. His fist was clenching it tightly, as if he was holding onto something very significant.

Chin's voice echoed the room.

Kono lifted her head up, ungluing her glance from a pile of papers she was closely reading through.

"We have to do something," he spoke weakly, sounding as if he wanted to laugh at his own self for making such a lousy remark. "I know Steve didn't do it. I know it."

"Chin... All signs point at him," replied Danny sadly.

"That's because someone wants it that way! Not because it's his fault! Come on, Danny, a murder _and_ an attempt to it? Steve would never do that!"

"What did you say?" asked Danny, finally releasing the grip on the coffee cup and putting it safely on the table.

"What?"

"A murder _and_ an attempt to it?" repeated Danny nervously.

"Yes. Murder of Haku Iona, to be exact," drawled Chin.

"What the hell are you talking about?" groaned Danny. Kono tilted her head, not saying a word. Her eyes were, however, cautious and she was very aware of the conversation going on between Chin and Danny.

"Danny..."

"No! Steve _didn't_ kill Haku Iona!"

"Don't get mad now but if he's covering up for you..."

"I _didn't kill him either._ I shot him – yeah – but that son-of-a-bitch got away! He's alive, I swear to God, Chin – he got away again!"

"Guys," suddenly interrupted Kono. It seemed like they all – for a brief moment – believed that their hero _wasn't_ the hero, after all. But once again, their doubts disappeared in a moment and – the team believed again. They believed in their hero – in Steve – and his innocence. "It looks like..."

"Someone's trying to set Steve up," said Chin, completing Kono's thought. Danny stood up from his seat and, fixing his tie-less shirt, headed towards the keyboard.

"That's not going to happen – on our watch. No one messes with our SEAL," he said sharply and looked at Kono.

"Or his ohana."

* * *

_Earlier_

A sharp voice spoke behind Steve's back, leaving an impression of perfect friendliness, yet the man's voice seemed cold – after all.

"Finally," he said as Steve slowly turned around. As his heart began pounding loudly, his mind was in a quarrel with his muscles – which were refusing to pull the trigger in his hand. Somehow, the man seemed to be reading Steve's messy thoughts. "Put the gun down."

Steve failed to hesitate – he was frightened that Catherine would be hurt – so he carefully placed his gun on the floor.

"Didn't I tell you not to bring weapons? Ah, I must have forgotten... Haven't I?"

"Why are you doing this?" asked Steve poorly. It was the first time Commander was caught off guard. He was too weak – the risk was too big.

"Why did you kill my brother, Steve?"

"I didn't, I swear to God! I wish I had killed that son of a bitch but he ran, he fucking _ran_!" groaned Steve desperately – genuinely.

"Ah, you sure do sound honest. But... that leaves a question unanswered. Where _is_ my brother?"

"I don't know, I have no idea!" he tried to convince the man as he slowly lifted his gun up from the floor and aimed it at Steve.

"Fine. Let's say I believe you," the man began darkly and Steve could see his watery eyes glow under the moonlight coming through the window. "But you killed my son."

"_What_?" muttered Steve in shock. The panic in his eyes faded – leaving only fear.

"Don't tell me you don't remember!" he gnarled madly. "Do you only remember your heroic acts, the acts that made you _loved _and _respected_ ? Do you only remember the lives you saved? What about the lives you _took_ Steve?"

"What the hell-"

"You watched him die! You let _me _watch _him _burn - and die in agony while you were saving your own selfish ash! You put me through hell, Steve. Let's just call this payback time."

His last words sounded harsh. Then, pulling the trigger on Steve's gun he had picked up, he shot Catherine – instead of Steve whom on the gun was aimed at. Her screams echoed and Steve winced, immediately trying to feel her pulse. The man threw his gun on the floor and Steve instantly grabbed it, firing bullets in his direction. Catherine was lying on the floor, words were barely coming out of her mouth – forcing Steve to stay with her.

"I-I _never_ thought you'd be hurt this way," she managed to say as her eyes were silently closing until he couldn't see the glimpse of her eyes. Steve screamed from the top of his lungs, barely feeling her pulse. The last thing he remembered was being taken away from her – he remembered the light out of his life being gone.

Was this how it ended? Was this the way Commander McGarrett had fallen?

* * *

"Commander Maui Iona. Ten years with the SEALs – was the commanding Officer of SEAL team four until Operation Crystal Field. Then he retired from the Navy, hadn't been seen until last night," said Kono whilst the three of them were looking at photos that popped up on the flat screen.

"So, this guy was in the Navy. Let's say he knew Steve. He just – what – disappeared and then he conveniently comes back to arrest Steve?" asked Danny.

"None of that makes any sense," commented Chin. "What else do we know?"

"Before he became the CO, he was in Naval Intelligence for five years. That's all I could dig up."

"What about Operation Crystal Field?"

"Classified," sighed Kono, looking at Danny. He ran a hand down his face and worriedly looked at Chin.

"Of course – it's classified," groaned Danny. In the very moment, the door opened and the team warily glanced at the newcomer. Joe White's friendly smile stretched across his face.

"Joe," greeted Chin in not so much of a cheerful tone. "You heard?"

"Let's say so," replied Joe, fixing his glance on the photos ahead of him. "Commander Iona? He's alive?" asked Joe, surprised and raised his brows.

"Yeah – why? You know this guy?"

"I do," drawled Joe. "What's up with him?"

"He, uh, arrested Steve. And we think he might know Steve from before, somehow," explained Danny.

"Is that so," said Joe somewhat distantly.

"Joe, does Operation Crystal Field ring a bell to you? Was Steve involved?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny," said Joe firmly. Danny sighed.

"Could this man be causing Steve trouble, Joe?" asked Chin carefully.

"I cannot deny," began Joe and Danny made a face. "But I could confirm."

"Is it possible that _he_ set him up?"

"Affirmative," replied Joe slowly. They exchanged worried looks as Joe kept rereading the title _Operation Crystal Field_.

* * *

Back in the orange uniform, Steve was sat on a chair, anxiously tapping on the floor with his feet. He was barely even touching it, and his eyes were fixed on the glassed barrier in front of him. Time was running out.

Then, a man, in a Navy uniform, sat opposite him – on the other side of the glass. His hand reached for the phone and began talking, as Steve was listening with the phone already against his ear.

"How does it feel, _Commander_?"

Steve kept blankly staring at him.

"It's not so nice; falling. Is it? I knew you'd fall one day. It's only right."

"I don't give a damn about that," spoke Steve. "I might as well fall as many times as I can get up. Hell, I might as well fall and _not_ get up. But why did you have to do that to Catherine and everyone else, huh? Why? You wanted to hurt me? Well, you hurt me. But _they_ don't deserve the pain. I might but -they _don't_."

"Neither did my son deserve the pain."

* * *

_Flashback_

_The rain was pouring down the sky, filled with big, grey clouds. It was falling so heavily that it seemed that no fire could ever swallow that amount of water. Fools, who thought that._

_McGarrett's face was cautious. He was holding the rifle tightly, aiming it at the massive wagon ahead. A quick nod to the man behind him was enough. The man took position and brought his phone closer to his mouth. As his lips began moving, a group of men surrounded the wagon. McGarrett was standing still, cautiously observing the members of the SEAL team. He was one of them. Watching out no one got hurt – it was his main duty at the moment. The man, pushed the phone back into a specially designed pocket on his suit, and nodded. Steve pursed his lips together, torn between two decisions. _

_As he heard a voice, coming from the headphone in his ear, McGarrett sighed. A command was given – he only had to follow it. A swift hand movement and – the team took their positions. A bullet was enough for the whole wagon to explode. _

"_It's a trap, I repeat – it's a trap!" Steve shouted into the headphone, throwing himself on the ground as sparks of fire soared through the air. _

"_Civilians!" a voice, belonging to a member of the SEAL team, yelled and it started fading. Steve's eyes began searching through the air, in panic. _

"_Get out of there, Keanu!" the older man groaned, following his son into the fire. Steve's feet were faster, he jumped on the man's back, knocking him over and they both fell – down the hill. The man cried in pain, and went silent as the sounds of another explosion echoed through the air. _

"_KEANU!" He shouted so loudly, it pained Steve. _

"_Commander Iona!" yelled Steve, trying to pull him up. Commander's face was completely injured – blood was streaming down his cheeks and he had multiple scars. His eye was swollen. _

"_My son, my _only_ son," he cried, devastated. _

_A father lost his son that night; and a Commander lost an ally._

* * *

Their feet were moving almost synchronized on the hot concrete, as they were in the middle of a discussion. Joe White made a hand gesture, to what Danny replied with a grimace. They just couldn't figure anything out. For a Lieutenant and a Detective, they were pretty lousy at solving this riddle – at the very moment.

Out of the blue – Commander Iona appeared, clutching a file case in his right hand. His face was scarred – he was blind on one eye from injuries and – he had a very deep, red cut all over his mouth. It was almost terrifying to look at.

"Lieutenant White," he greeted, immediately reaching his hand out to Joe. Hesitating for a moment, Joe shook his hand and fake smiled. Danny was silent. "I still cannot believe what happened with Steve. He was such a good Commander – always putting others before himself. Ah, I guess not everyone can be saved. Looks like it's him this time."

* * *

_Flashback _

"_If anything happens, get him out of there. Remember, Steve, you're responsible for his life. If he dies, it's your fault. Do it right, Steve," Joe spoke sharply, professionally whilst giving Steve instructions. Steve nodded and grabbed his rifle. Then, Joe watched him disappear into the night. _

_- later that day -_

_Steve was shaking uncontrollably. Joe tried to console him but nothing was working._

"_Listen, Steve – you did your job right. You saved Commander Iona. That was what you had to do and you did it." _

"_He lost his son because I saved him! I saved him but, really, he hadn't been saved. It killed him. His son is dead, Joe." _

"_There was nothing you could have done differently."_

"_There was. I could have saved him."_

"_You couldn't have saved them both! You're not superman – made of steel!"_

"_Well, I should be! I should be – so innocent people wouldn't suffer." _

_Steve covered his eyes with his hands and let out a few tears roll down his face – so Joe couldn't see. It was the moment that made him – as if he were truly made of steel. _

* * *

Kono's fingers flew over the keyboard as she nervously dialled Danny's number.

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

"_Kono_," answered Danny.

"Danny, I think I might have found something that will clear Steve of charges!" she spoke hurriedly, browsing through the crime scene photos.

"_What!?"_

"There are multiple cameras all around Catherine's house. We _have to_ check whether there is footage on them. There could be a tape of the _actual_ shooter!"

"_Meet me there in half an hour,"_ said Danny quickly and ended the call.

As Kono was picking up her stuff, her phone went off.

_Chin calling_

"Cuz, I have good news," she immediately spoke. Chin hesitated to answer. "Is everything okay?"

"_No_," said Chin sluggishly. "_The trial against Steve will be held in _two days_."_

"What? It was supposed to be in two _weeks_! We don't have enough time to think of a good strategy! He will be accused of crimes he didn't commit, Chin!"

"_I know. There's nothing we can do_."

* * *

**A/N2; There, I hope you're a bit more peaceful now since you know that Steve didn't shoot Cath. More cliff hangers and plot twists in the next chapters. ;)**

_**I WILL WRITE FOR REVIEWS.**_


	12. Olelo ho'ahewa

**Chapter XII - 'Olelo ho'ahewa – [ Accusation ]**

A/N; I cannot say how much your wonderful comments mean to me. I just wanted to thank you, again, because your support is the reason I keep writing this fanfic. I really hope you enjoy this chapter, even though I am unhappy with it. I think it's boring, but it's worth reading because of the end!

Apologies for the mistakes. More notes at the end.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

The sound of a rhythmic, somewhat loud song was playing on the radio. It was terribly inappropriate, and everyone in the car was nervous. Detective Williams' hand quickly silenced the radio, and he sighed. No one commented his action.

"It will be fine, Danny," said Chin determinedly, whilst his both hands were on the steering wheel of Danny's Camaro. Perhaps Danny would have wrecked the car and caused an accident if he had driven it; he was completely anxious.

"How can you be so sure?" he spat, unintentionally sharply. Quickly, he made a hand movement, suggesting that he didn't mean to be so rude. Chin got his hint and gave him a little smile, turning his head at him for a moment.

"I can't. I don't know how this is going to end. But no one says I can't hope for the best. Besides – it's Steve we're talking about – he'll find a way."

"Uh, that could be a bit of a problem since – um, he's behind bars."

"He won't stay there for long, that's what we're here for," interrupted Kono from the backseat. Danny heard her words, and they came off as warm and comforting.

The car stopped in front of Catherine's house. Danny sighed, as flashbacks from a few nights ago came into his mind. Seeing Steve being cuffed and taken away forcefully... Danny winced as he got out of the car.

"Ready?" asked Chin, as the three were standing in front of the door.

"Yeah, let's go," said Kono and entered, after crouching down below the yellow duct tape. Looking around, Kono shrugged her shoulders. "The cameras could be _anywhere_."

"How many are there, exactly?" asked Chin whilst walking around.

"I'm not sure. Several. Probably one per room."

"Well, let's just focus on the room Steve was in. The others don't matter right now," suggested Danny and made his way to the stairs.

"But, Danny, there might be something else on those cameras, too."

"I highly doubt that that matters right now. The only thing that matters is Steve, and clearing his name. Let's, uh, start with that."

* * *

_Flashback _

It was just a badge. Such a stupid inanimate object that seemed so hard to give up. Steve's grip was so hard, as the shiny badge was in his hand. His eyes were fixed on the door in front of him, and his heart was beating fast. It seemed like such an easy thing to do – like just another mission – but this time, it was personal. And it was hard, above everything else. It was about choosing between himself – and the woman he loved. Well, choosing between what made him, who he was _and_ the woman he loved. At least the woman he used to love. Still, he felt like he owed her. Or someone.

Steve let the badge collide against the dirty ground and took one final look at its shiny, golden surface before he entered the house and – left what he was behind.

Everything played out so fast. Steve's entrance, seeing Catherine helpless, and looking into her eyes. They seemed sorry, but Steve couldn't tell why; at least not until he heard her speak.

"He forced me, S-Steve," panted Catherine, staring at the ceiling instead of Steve. He kept trying to untie her but the knot was pretty tight. "I had to. I-I didn't want to leave, I h-had to, Steve,"

"Listen to me, Catherine, you'll be fine, okay? I'll get you out of here, none of that matters now. Just stay calm," he spoke slowly as he finally untied the knot.

"N-no, Steve... He's coming after you," her words became quieter. "Save yourself, I can't... any-anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

"I wanted to protect you... I tried. I-I left because of it... It's..." she stopped talking, as her eyes fixed on something behind Steve. Some_one_, actually.

"Game over, McGarrett," a sharp voice whispered behind him.

And that's how it happened.

* * *

"Fast forward, fast forward!" shrieked Danny, and Kono immediately did as he told her. The scene playing on the flat screen suddenly fast forwarded.

"Oh God," said Kono. The footage was showing exactly what they wanted to see – Steve's innocence – but in a very different way. They didn't expect to see the moments between Steve and Catherine that were just _heartbreaking_.

"Is it just me or, uh – does this remind you of the Governor Jameson's case?"

"What do you mean?" asked Chin, suddenly intrigued.

"Steve has obviously been set up – again."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that he's been set up, like last time and – we need to prove it! And now that we have proof, let's do it."

"You mean pay Governor Denning a visit?" asked Chin.

"Yes – Chin – that's what I meant," said Danny slightly irritated.

"But Governor is in a meeting or something _right now_," added Kono.

"Now? It's noon!"

"I don't know, his secretary said something came up," said Kono nonchalantly and immediately caught panic in Danny's eyes.

"Steve's trial came up, that's what!" yelled Danny. It took them a second to storm out of the office, leaving everything behind. None of them cared about the footage that was simply left on the screen, or their lunches getting cold. It was all about Steve; like it should have been a long time ago. None of this would have happened. Or maybe it happened because it _was_ about him? One thing was for sure – saving a SEAL wasn't easy.

* * *

Their pace was fast, and they seemed like they wanted to be faster than their bodies were allowing them. The hall was massive; the walls were painted in a light shade of burgundy, and floor was white, and their steps echoed on it.

Joe White was standing, turned at them. Danny hurried to greet him.

"Where is he?" shrieked Danny, looking at Joe's eyes pleadingly. It seemed like Joe's answer wouldn't be of any comfort to Danny. There he was, just an hour ago, feeling a _bit_ happier than he was. It seemed like Joe was about to suck out the only happiness inside him with a giant vacuum. Something about his strict grimace was almost concerning. And given that he hesitated to answer him, Danny presumed that the answer – was no good.

"Tell us, Joe! Is the trial behind held right now?!" said Chin, equally as loudly. Yet, he seemed more calm, opposite of Danny who was literally falling apart. His tie looked wrinkly and the first few buttons on his blue shirt were unbuttoned. He needed air.

"Yes. But I _don't_ think you should go in there."

"_Where_ is he, Joe? Where is Steve?" pronounced Danny bitterly. Joe pointed at the door behind them. Danny realised it was it. All they had to do was enter the courtroom, and clear this whole mess out. But, why weren't they informed that the trial had been moved? Danny suddenly started thinking that it wasn't a coincidence – someone didn't want them to be there. Perhaps, though, they weren't supposed to be here. Maybe Steve wasn't _theirs_ to save. As Danny rapidly walked in, with Chin and Kono unable to stop him, he realised something. If he wasn't theirs to save, whose was he to save?

* * *

"_Leave_ this courtroom, _now!" _shouted the judge, looking at the three furiously. Danny didn't move, and his gun was aimed at a random person. "Detective Williams, Lieutenant Kelly, Officer Kalakaua – I will have you thrown in _jail_ for disrespecting the court of law and _threatening_ several officers!"

"Of course, throw more innocent people in jail, why not? You're doing it already, shouldn't be a problem!" yelled Danny. No one had the guts to approach them, especially when Chin aimed his rifle at the judge. Kono caught Steve's glance. Unshaved, tired and nervous, he was sat down and his hands were cuffed. Kono's heart skipped a beat when she noticed the handcuffs around his wrists. That simply didn't _belong_ around _Steve's _wrists. But knowing that he was innocent somehow stopped Kono from shooting everyone who thought differently. It kept her sane. Steve's look gave away panic – even though it seemed like their guns weren't the reason.

"Detective Williams, what are you on about?" suddenly spoke Governor Denning, who seemed utterly furious. He was the only one, amongst many officers, to stand up and approach the three. Not that he was a fool – no, he knew very well that Five-0 definitely wasn't a team to mess around with – especially when protecting one of their own. But he knew that whatever they were here for, they had to say it first – before shooting anyone. And, surely, Governor Denning knew that they _weren't_ dirty cops.

"Steve's innocent. Let him go," barked Danny and saw Steve look away. _What was that for?, _thought Danny. He wasn't telling lies for sure – Steve didn't shoot anyone. Why would he look away? Why would he act as if he really was charged for a reason?

"Detective Williams, may I ask why are you claiming that? I realise that it is hard for you to deal with this but making stories up-"

"I am _not_ making anything up!" shouted Danny. Somehow, he seemed to be hit by Steve's reaction pretty hard. It caught him off guard. He was expecting the SEAL to help them so they could help him, but all he did was sit silently and avoided eye contact with the rest of the team. Danny couldn't believe his eyes.

"I am afraid you will have to leave the courtroom," concluded the Governor madly.

"_No!_" suddenly yelled Kono, her glance was fixed on Steve. "You people are supposed to be serving the _justice_! How is accusing an _innocent_ man rightful? And it's not just _any_ man, it's the man who spent his life serving his country, saving _your _lives! How can you do this?" she said, suddenly making everyone in the courtroom a bit more compassionate. Their looks weren't cool anymore; they almost seemed to have a soul. Even the judge lifted his glasses up, taking a better look at Kono.

"If only that were true, Officer Kalakaua," Governor Denning said quietly.

"It is true, we have proof that he didn't shoot anyone!" she was persistent, even though her voice was breaking.

"Commander McGarrett just admitted to the crimes he was accused of. He claims that he is guilty. I am afraid that is all we need to know," noted Governor Denning.

Kono quickly glanced at Steve, whose eyes were teary. He seemed broken. Kono, being pushed out of the courtroom along with Chin and Danny, felt as if someone was smothering her.

They had proof that he wasn't guilty. What was going on? Remembering how soft his lips felt against hers, Kono swore to herself that she would save him. After all, he saved her so many times. But...

How do you save a man who doesn't want to be saved?

* * *

**A/N2;** Okay, so I hope you're at least somewhat happy with it. Someone said they were confused with certain things so let me clear some things up; you're reading pieces of the story throughout flashbacks and moments happening at the present. Steve was accused of shooting both Catherine and Haku Iona. The reason it might be confusing is because I have not yet revealed why. Don't panic, you'll find out everything.

I also apologise for this chapter being a bit shorter than usual. The next ones will be as lengthy as they used to be, I promise!

And I guess that is all I wanted to say. Thank you for reading and everything, you guys rock!

_**I WILL WRITE FOR REVIEWS.**_


	13. Wikiwiki

**Chapter XIII – Wikiwiki – [ Fast ]**

* * *

A/N; I am so sorry for updating this so late! I had no idea school would keep me this busy. :( Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, I really tried to make it interesting and I tried to answer a lot of questions!

Apologies for mistakes, as usual, you know the deal. ;)

Aaand, most importantly, thank you SO much for reading and all that good stuff. You guys are just awesome!

Now, enjoy. :)

* * *

_Flashback_

The weight of his own body was pulling him closer to the ground, while he was lifting himself up, and then down.

"One hundred and one," murmured Steve to his beard, and did the one hundred and second push up. Then, to his surprise, the guard yelled out his name.

"_McGarrett_! You have a visitor!"

Mentally preparing himself to face the team, Steve was a bit shocked when none of them appeared. Instead, a well known face was sat on the chair, and he had lifted the phone up. Waiting for Steve to sit, he gave him a poisonous smile. Steve had never felt such an urge to hit someone; well – he had, but not in a while. Steve clenched his teeth and, flashing at his visitor madly, sat down.

"You son of a bitch," spat Steve immediately, not wasting a second. He didn't want to look at his face any second longer than necessary.

"Now, now, Steve," Maui Iona's lips widened into a content smile. His eyes were glowing. "I'm here to help you."

"Help me? What do you mean help me? You put me in this fucking cell in the first place," said Steve, biting his lip hard to stop himself from cursing any further. He was in no position to cause a scene.

"Ah, right. I didn't mean to _get you out_ anyway. I had – let's say – something else in mind," he said sweetly.

"Forget about it," Steve cut off.

"Oh, but, Steve, I think you might change your mind," he said as he pulled out a briefcase, and dug through some papers. Steve looked away and took a deep sigh, and looked back at him. Maui took a bunch of photographs in his hand and began showing them.

"Is she familiar to you?" Maui flashed a picture of Grace Williams, eating ice cream on the beach. Steve's jaw almost dropped. "Huh? No? How about now?" showing a picture of both Danny and Grace, Maui smiled viciously. Steve felt enraged, as if he were about to explode. As if it wasn't already enough, Maui continued showing photos of not only them, but also Chin, Joe White and Kamekona. Steve covered his mouth with his clenched fist, and bit it. He never wished to have a gun more than in that moment.

"And let's not forget," added Maui, and showed Steve several photos of Kono. Steve closed his eyes and looked away quickly. "So, are you in for a deal?"

"If you lay a finger on them... If you _just_ take another look at them," begun Steve, glancing at him.

"Listen to me carefully, McGarrett. You can't touch me anymore. If you want your friends to stay alive and untouched, you will do exactly as I say. Do you understand?"

Steve nodded reluctantly and kept staring at him. Maui smiled, satisfied.

"Tomorrow, on your trial, you will admit to the attempt of murder of Catherine Rollins and murder of Haku Iona."

"You killed your own _brother_?" whispered Steve, disgusted.

"_Are we clear, McGarrett?_ No lawyers, no tricks, no nothing. You try to get yourself at me – just try to point fingers at me – your friends will die. One by one, all of them. Understood?"

"Understood," answered Steve after a long pause, and looked down.

* * *

The door slammed shut behind them. The noise seemed ear ripping, even though it was _just_ the sound of the door slamming. Except that it was mixed with feelings, lots of them. Kono kept picturing Steve's cuffed hands and his numb expression. It hurt her, only to think about it. How could this have happened?

The team walked down the hall in silence. Joe White looked at them as he stood up from the chair that was against the wall.

"Well?" he asked, waiting for some good news. But just a glance at them was enough to understand that nothing good happened.

"Steve admitted to the crimes he was accused of committing," said Danny emotionlessly.

"Why?" asked Joe, even though he already knew everything about his case. Except that he didn't know why would Steve do such a thing. He trained him, taught him everything he knew, and yet he couldn't figure this one out. Was it possible that Catherine ruined Steve to this level? No. Joe White knew that much – Steve was trying to protect someone.

"Why don't you tell us Joe? We have no idea why would he do such a, uh, _stupid_ thing."

"I'm afraid I have no better idea either," replied Joe, and looked at Kono who just began to speak.

"I can't believe this. I just can't. Okay, maybe the whole Catherine thing has some kind of a link to Steve but murdering Haku Iona? That makes no sense. The last time he saw him was the time _Danny_ shot him."

"I didn't kill him," added Danny.

"But maybe he was trying to cover up for Danny," suggested Chin.

"I _didn't_ kill Haku Iona! That son of a bitch escaped again," repeated Danny, getting a bit anxious.

"Why would Steve do something like that?" asked Joe, and crossed his arms on his chest.

"He wouldn't. Unless he had to," concluded Danny. After years of partnership, he knew exactly how Steve functioned.

"Which means... someone made him do it. But if Danny didn't kill Haku Iona then... someone's trying to set Steve up for what he did, not what Steve did," said Chin.

"_Or_ Haku Iona is still alive, and someone is trying to cover up for something big," said Kono. The team exchanged looks with Joe, and then they stormed out, rushing towards the office. How much time did they have left?

* * *

It seemed that time was set on fast forward; Kono was anxiously typing on the keyboard. They were running out of time.

"How are we going to locate him? We don't know if he's still on the island," commented Danny.

"He has to be using one of his aliases," concluded Kono. "He's running out of options, he will probably use his old trick – the masks."

"And?"

"I'm running his aliases through the data, if I see any sign of activity, we'll know he's still on the island," explained Kono briefly. Danny wanted to ask how she got her hands on his aliases, but he realised there was no time for additional questions. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to know.

"You'd be great in the Naval Intelligence, Kono," commented Joe with a smile, and crossed his arms on his chest. Kono looked up at him quickly and smiled back, taking it as quite a big compliment. After a few moments, Kono exclaimed loudly.

"Gotcha!" she enlarged the information that had just popped up on the screen. "He used a credit card to purchase a plane ticket to Morocco half an hour ago, under the name Elias Bennett," she said. "The plane leaves in," she paused and looked at the time. "Twenty minutes!" she yelled, and they stormed out of the office.

* * *

Stopping the cars on the parking lot, Danny and Kono got out of the car, followed by Chin and Joe White.

"Hurry up!" yelled Kono as she ran faster than the rest of the team, and entered the airport. Running through the crowd, Kono started looking around nervously. Danny went to warn the security along with Chin, and Joe disappeared somewhere in the crowd.

Then, out of nowhere, Kono caught a glimpse of a man's face, who was just taking his luggage towards the exit. She frowned and ran towards him. Her fist hit his back, and the man fell over, along with his bags. Kono jumped on him, as he laid on his back, and realised she got the wrong man. Kono's eyes widened, and she suddenly heard Joe's voice. Unable to understand what he said, she panicked.

"That's not him!" Kono yelled, as the man cursed while getting up. Meanwhile, Joe spoke loudly, and Kono finally looked at him. The suitcase fell open on the ground, and a whole lot of different jewellery and diamonds dispersed on the floor. Joe and Kono exchanged looks, but the man already started running.

Unluckily for him, Kono was faster and she jumped on his back, so that he landed on his face. This time she made sure he stayed on the ground. Kono cuffed him, and made a grimace.

"Where do _you_ think you're going, brah?"

* * *

The plane was just about to take off, when the gates closed. A man, dressed completely in black, stopped in front of the closed door.

"Excuse me, I have to board that plane," he said to the lady, and smiled charmingly.

"I am sorry sir, but I am not allowed to let you pass at this time," she replied. He suddenly drew a gun on her, and the lady winced in shock. She slowly rose her hands.

"Are you sure?" he asked, pointing the gun to her head.

"She's sure," Kono spoke behind him, and the door suddenly opened. Chin aimed his rifle at him, while Danny appeared on his left. "Game over, Iona."

* * *

"Why did you fake your death?" asked Danny sharply, once they got him sat down and cuffed.

"I didn't," he smirked at him.

"Oh, oh – you didn't? I must be imagining things because, uh – as I recall, Steve McGarrett was accused of murdering you! Was that one of your doppelgangers, huh?"

"No," he replied, the smirk was still on his face. Danny found it extremely annoying.

"Listen," suddenly burst Kono, and aimed her gun at his head. "This is your one and only chance to speak. Do it, _now_," she threatened and punched him in the face before she aimed the gun at his head again. Her eyes were glowing with madness, that Haku Iona got frightened.

"Okay, okay! I'll talk!" he shouted. "My brother, Maui, came up with this whole thing. The masks and all. He promised me a lot of money if he could use the masks. That way he wouldn't get in trouble, but neither would I, you know? Because there would be too many people with the same face on the island, and it would be a wild goose chase. But I think you already know that part," he mentioned, and realising he made his situation worse, kept talking. "And so that way I was able to, you know, do stuff without getting caught. And if anything happened, no one would suspect Maui, and they couldn't catch me."

"What was in it for him?" asked Chin.

"He wanted revenge."

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's just say Steve and Maui have a bit of a past together. Maui lost his son, and he was a SEAL, too. It's tragic, really. Maui blames Steve and you know the rest."

"So he set him up to spend the rest of his life in prison for nothing?"

"You catch up fast," said Haku.

"Why did you fake your death?"

"Maui said I was taking it too far, and I had to leave the island. Everything was taken care of, I just had to disappear."

"Too bad we caught you," said Danny sarcastically. "Looks like you have places to swap with someone."

* * *

Typing _Maui Iona_, Kono quickly got some results. With Joe's help, certain _classified_ pieces of information became unclassified. It was so much easier to get the whole picture now.

"Oh," gasped Kono as she rewind the footage. "Maui Iona... He shot Catherine! He's behind all of this," said Kono and exchanged looks with Joe.

"Looks like Steve's our hero, after all," said Joe with a little smile.

* * *

Looking down at his cuffed hands, Steve staggered down the hall. Every muscle in his body pained him. He barely ate anything, and he exercised way too much. Also, he had gotten into too many fights since he got in prison. Everyone hated the dirty cop. Even more if he was an ex Navy SEAL. And, if possible, even more than that if his name was Steve McGarrett.

When Steve's eyes met Danny's, he felt like home. Nothing mattered anymore, the fact that Danny was here was enough. Steve sat down and rushed to pick up the phone.

"Danno," he said and his lips widened into a grin. Danny nodded at him.

"Oh, you're happy now?"

"I'm happy to see you," he replied.

"Why'd you do it?"

"I... I don't know. I mean, Danny, it just happened, I didn't want to fire I just-"

"Uh, stop it, Steve. There's no need for a show – I know you didn't shoot anyone."

"Danny, would you face the facts for once! I'm not a hero or something, okay? If you want to get me out of here, don't try. I'm here to stay. Don't ask me anything, okay?"

"Steve – I'm facing the facts, that's why I'm here! I know you didn't kill Haku Iona nor shoot Catherine."

"Yeah, well, you need proof for that, buddy. Look, I'm sorry Danny but you can't help me this time. I don't want your help."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"We all know you're innocent!"

"Danny!" groaned Steve.

"_Steve,_ we booked Haku Iona a few hours ago. He told us everything. And, uh, we have camera footage from Catherine's house. You're not guilty, no matter how much you're trying to come off as it. Now I want to know why did you do all of this?"

"Because he threatened me, Danny, okay? Not me, but he threatened to kill all of you. This was the only way I could protect you from prison. I had no choice, okay? I was set up."

"Well, it's all over now. We have proof against him and you're free."

"No, Danny."

"Huh?"

"If I leave prison, you all are in trouble. I'm not going to let that happen, and you should know better too."

"Do you hear yourself?"

"Yes! I do! Look, I already told the court what I had to say. The case is closed. I'm sorry, Danny, but I can't let anything happen to any of you," he said, and thought of Kono. He really missed her, and a part of him wanted to go with Danny – go home and tell Kono everything. He just wanted to be with her. But if that meant putting her in danger, there was no chance he would let it happen – ever. "I'm sorry," said Steve and stood up. One more time, before he left, Steve looked at Danny. The grin on his face faded, and was replaced with a tired, sad smile. Once Steve was gone, Danny pressed _stop _on his phone, and smiled, satisfied to himself. With the recording of the conversation in his pocket, Danny decided it was time to pay the Governor a visit.

* * *

Steve's eyes opened when the guard called his name. Again, he thought. It became a little bit annoying. The guard made his way into Steve's cell, as Steve got up, and didn't cuff him – which left Steve a bit confused. He simply let him follow him outside.

"Commander McGarrett," spoke Governor Denning to Steve once he approached him. Steve saw Kono standing next to Chin and Danny, and he smiled at her widely. "Please – accept my sincere apology. I can't believe this happened _twice_,"

"Neither can we," groaned Danny.

"However, there was not much we could have done considering your confession," he warned him. Steve weakly smiled. "But, I saw both the footage and, I must add – it was clever from your partner to have recorded your real confession earlier – you are cleared of all charges."

"You did what?" asked Steve and his jaw almost dropped. Danny simply grinned at him.

"Commander McGarrett, you may take your badge and gun back," he said. "Now, as I recall, you still have a bad guy to catch, so go," ordered Governor Denning before he left.

Kono reached her hand, holding Steve's badge and gun, at him.

"Steve," she whispered, and he pulled her into a hug. "Welcome back."

* * *

The first thing Steve did was took a shower. Then, he shaved and changed into a pair of cargo pants and a plain shirt. When he entered the office, Chin gave him a big box of cocoa puffs. It was just his thing. They had a short lunch break, and then Steve asked about Catherine.

"She's going to be fine," said Danny.

"I'd like to see her, Danny," he murmured. "I just feel like I owe her, you know?"

"Yeah, absolutely," replied Danny reluctantly.

"I'll call the hospital," added Chin.

"Thanks, brah," said Steve with a smile. Chin went to his office to make a call, and Kono kept chewing her cocoa puff. Steve and Kono engaged in a conversation about pizza toppings, and Danny kept frowning at the mention of _ham _and _pineapple_.

A few minutes into the debate, Chin walked out of his office – pale as the wall.

"Guys, the nurse said that Catherine was just discharged from the hospital, accompanied with two Navy Officers," panicked Chin. Steve immediately stood up.

"Joe!" he shouted, to everyone's surprise. "Maui has Joe and Cath!"

Just as it seemed that their worries were fading away; danger knocked on their door again. This time, Steve had very little time to save a man that was like a father to him, and a woman he used to love – and whom he owed so much to. If he ever was a hero, now was the time to be one.

* * *

A/N2; We are really getting close to the end of this fanfic! Whoa. :O

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. Stay tuned for the next chapter, it will be posted on Monday – I PROMISE.

If you have any questions, please send me a message, otherwise you could leave a review. :3

Did you like the cliff hanger? ;)

_**I WILL WRITE FOR REVIEWS**_


	14. Ka Hope Loa Ho'oku'i

**Chapter XIV – Ka Hope Loa Ho'oku'i – [ The Final Crash ]**

* * *

A/N; This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but it is filled with action so I hope you won't be disappointed! Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your support. It means the world, honestly. You guys are the best!

Also, this is the last chapter I am writing without a beta reader, so mistakes might occur. Apologies for that!

Now enjoy this chapter, and come back in seven days for the next! ;)

* * *

Everything happened all of a sudden. In one moment, Steve had all of the pieces of his life back in his hands – ready to glue them together. In the next moment – they fell from his hands, and collided with the ground into millions of pieces.

* * *

The Kevlar was on; and Steve grabbed his rifle, storming out of his office.

"Boss!" yelled Kono, from behind the keyboard. Steve's glance immediately got glued to her, and he stopped. His face was numb, which wasn't unusual – it was a surprise that Steve managed to stay sane after everything that had happened in his life. Walking a little bit towards her, Steve clenched his teeth and didn't say a word. "Danny and Chin just left, Joe's phone was functioning a minute ago so I managed to get a location," she spoke distantly. Then, noticing that he was about to break down, Kono walked up to him. Neither did she say a word; she just looked into his eyes.

"I can't thank you enough, Kono," murmured Steve.

"For what?" she asked genuinely confused.

"Everything," he whispered. Their eyes met and Steve felt the old flame blaze inside him; all the flashbacks suddenly came into his mind. None of this was supposed to be happening; he was supposed to have his happy ending. But, it seemed that the pain would never come to an end, and every day was a new struggle. Maybe he wasn't enough of a hero when he should have been, and this was the price to pay. Ridiculous conclusions suddenly overcame him, and Steve just weakly smiled at Kono.

"You'll thank me later, we've got some asses to kick," said Kono, forcing a cheerful tone. The truth was; she was scared. The fact that she had a Kevlar on and a gun in her hands didn't scare her. Not even the possibility of dying, which always came with a gun. What scared her was losing Steve, and this time it was horrific. She didn't want him to go and save the day. It was always expected from him to be the hero; but it was never about him. It was only important that he did his job, not what he really felt. Of course, his Ohana cared and it mattered. The thing was – even though they cared, certain things just wouldn't allow Lt. Commander McGarrett to have a cup of coffee and stay in bed all day.

* * *

They hurried out of the office; not even trying to be quick – they just were. Steve was quick because he kept thinking of Joe and Catherine, and how much trouble they were in. And Kono because she was following Steve; keeping the pace up with him. They ran outside; and the rain was pouring from the sky, as the clouds were covering it up – foreshadowing a dire storm.

* * *

Chin Ho Kelly was ready. It didn't matter what for – he was just ready. The rifle, tightly clenched in his hands, was ready to fire; and his body was ready to fall for his friends. No questions – just actions. Chin was ready to die for his Ohana; and the last thought before he glanced at McGarrett was what an honour it would be to die by his side.

* * *

"Chin, Danny, Officer Gutches – I want you to go in and find Joe and Catherine. Just get them out of there, alive," said Steve whilst charging his gun. Wade Gutches nodded, and quickly glanced at the members of his SEAL team, and they stood by Danny's and Chin's side.

The massive door suddenly burst open, though it didn't make too much noise. Danny entered first, and smacked a bulky man's face, so he tripped over. Pulling him up, Danny pushed him against the wall and aimed his gun at the man's head.

"Nobody messes with McGarrett," gnarled Danny as his hand was clenching the man's neck tightly, and fired a bullet into his leg. The man shrieked, and Danny's fist flew right into his face – knocking him down. The man's lip started bleeding, and he fell on the ground in silence.

Meanwhile, Chin got engaged in a fight with _two _men. Huskily groaning, one of the men tried to knock Chin's gun out of his hand. As he moved his hand, while Chin was stuck in a tight grip with the other man, he made a grimace and leisurely pulled the gun out of Chin's hand. Chin was struggling, but managed to tumble on the ground, along with his rival. Then, the shiny surface of the gun suddenly flashed before his eyes, as the other man aimed it at him. The gun fired, and a loud, ear-ripping noise, coming from Danny's mouth reigned the room.

* * *

Their steps were heavy on the wooden floor, as they stood against the wall. Steve glanced at Kono as he crouched. His eyes were glowing, and Kono smiled at him. It was a smile that was worth dying for. Even though nothing had gone wrong _yet_, Steve had a lump in his throat. He was dreading this moment – the moment he realised he had so much to lose. That smile – he didn't want to lose.

"You okay?" asked Kono silently, crouching behind him. Steve looked at her, making a nonchalant grimace, and shook his head.

"Yeah. Nothing we haven't done before, huh?" he said. It was a lie, though, he had never felt this way. The tiredness in his bones was dragging him down, and the dread he felt was almost unbearable.

Kono nodded, and whispered, so close to him. "Yeah."

Steve felt shivers down his spine, and he stood up. Then, walking into the room, Steve saw Maui Iona standing by the window. His face was turned against them, but the glass could reflect his deformed face, and the evilness in his eyes. He burnt with the desire to destroy; wipe out any and every sign of happiness in Steve's life.

"I hope you said all your goodbyes," he said darkly and turned around, aiming his gun at Steve. Then, in just a millisecond, it happened. Steve's hand reflexively rose, and as Maui's gun fired, Kono pushed Steve aside. Falling onto the floor, Steve heard a loud gasp, and his finger instinctively pulled the trigger. Maui Iona fell down, and the glow in his eyes disappeared. All that was left was the crooked half smile, and tears in his eyes. After all, he was just a man who had lost his son, and his own self somewhere along the way.

Steve threw his gun away, and flashed at Kono. Red, bright blood was slowly drenching Kono's shirt, and it dripped on the wooden floor. Kono's eyes closed, and a smile was stuck on her lips.

* * *

Danny's eyes met Chin's. Chin managed to push the bulky man off him, as the other one fell on the ground. Danny sighed deeply, and pulled Chin up.

"Thanks, brah. You saved my life," said Chin and gave him a little smile. Danny's lips stretched, and he looked at Chin's Kevlar.

"I can't take all the credit, though," replied Danny tiredly.

* * *

Followed by Danny, Chin made his way into the hallway. Next to them was a door, leading to the basement, Chin presumed. They pushed the door open, and stumbled into a cramped little hallway, leading downstairs. They took a few steps down, and walked into a room filled with boxes. Chin carefully knocked one of the boxes down, and saw the faces of Joe White and Catherine. They were sat on the ground, their hands tied together, and tape was covering their mouths.

"Danny, over here!" yelled Chin whilst Danny was examining the boxes. He quickly ran over, and they untied Joe and Catherine.

"Thank you, sonny," said Joe as Danny helped him to get up. "Is Steve all right?"

"Uh – we don't know. He told us to find you and... we, uh, don't really know where he is. The house is huge, he's probably somewhere upstairs or something..." Danny spoke, and then a loud noise came from upstairs. They exchanged looks, and Catherine rushed towards the stairs, but Danny grabbed her hand.

"Hey! You can't just _go_."

"Steve's in trouble!" she protested, and then Chin gave her a gun.

"Probably, but you are not leaving this room without a gun, at least. Ugh, I can't wait to hear Steve when he finds out we let you help us," groaned Danny as they followed the sound where the noise came from.

* * *

It was all over. SEAL Team Six cleared the house, and soon the HPD arrived. Danny was nervous, while waiting outside. He knew that both Steve and Kono were still inside, but he had no idea what was going on. He bit his lip, and made a grimace.

"Danny?" called out Catherine, and she stood beside him.

"Yeah," he drawled, crossing his arms on his chest. Even though he knew the whole story, from both sides, he was still kind of upset with Catherine for leaving Steve. As if he needed protection, Danny thought.

"I know you're still mad," she started.

"I'm not mad, Catherine," he immediately cut her off, and sighed heavily. "I'm really not the one who should be mad. I know you were trying to protect him, but you hurt him more this way. He's a SEAL, damn it, he didn't need your protection. You left him in the worst possible way, and it crushed him. He didn't eat or sleep for days when you left, and no – you can't say you're sorry. You don't get to destroy him and just come back. You don't get to do that because, right now, it's his turn to be happy. It's Steve's turn to be okay. So, Catherine, I'm not mad, I'm just really hurt. Because if he's hurt, I'm hurt. That's what Ohana means. It doesn't mean leaving anyone behind," he said and looked at her. Catherine had a crooked smile on her face, and she looked away.

"I didn't leave him behind. I just... left _everything_ behind because I wanted him to be okay. I guess he got to be okay, in the end, right? It might have not ended the way I wanted it to end but, Danny, I saw the way he looks at her," she briefly said, and glanced at Danny one last time. She then slowly walked away, and left Danny alone with his thoughts.

It was true. Steve eventually got to be okay – until tonight.

* * *

It took some time before the HPD climbed upstairs and barged into the room. Kono was in Steve's arms, and he was sobbing loudly. Caressing her cheek with his bloody hand, Steve whispered to her sadly. Promising her the moon and the stars, he watched her slowly close her eyes. The whole world stopped for a moment when Steve couldn't feel her heartbeat. But – there it was. It was slow, but it was there. He had no power in his arms, or legs, or body – he was sat against the wall with Kono dying on his arms. The blood drenched their clothes, but Steve paid very little attention to it. When he noticed that Kono seemed a bit sleepy, he started telling her how much he had missed her. He even got a little smile from her, and tears rolled down her cheeks. Kono kept smiling numbly and then, just as he promised they'll be okay, her eyes closed.

Steve shouted from the bottom of his lungs, as the paramedics came.

"Don't die on me, Kono, I love you!" he shouted, and for a moment, it seemed that she had opened her eyes. "Please don't go, I am so _in love with you_," he whispered.

Once again, Steve's world fell apart.

* * *

_to be continued..._


	15. Mau Loa

**Chapter XV – Mau Loa – [ Forever ]**

* * *

A/N; First off, I would like to apologise for not updating in a while. As you may know, school has been keeping me busy and to be honest, I've had no inspiration to write. Luckily, it's all good now and I will hopefully post the next chapter much sooner!

Secondly, I won't apologise for mistakes this time, because – guess what – I got a beta reader! So here's a **big **thank you to Susan who did a wonderful job. Also, she's a wonderful person so if you have tumblr – go check hers out! [ .com]

And finally, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did enjoy writing it. It's been a lot of fun so far, and I am a bit sad that we only have two chapters left. :( But anyway, I wouldn't have kept writing without your support so here is a thank you to all of you who've been reading and favouriting and following. I sincerely thank you all, you guys are amazing! 3

Now, after I've bored you with the author's note, I sure do hope you enjoy the chapter. :)

* * *

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Kono's eyes slowly opened. The annoying beeping woke her up. Trying to clear her vision, she blinked a few times. The beeping still hadn't stopped.

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Whilst lying on the bed still, Kono realised that the beeping was simultaneous with her heart beat. For a moment she thought about it, and it made her grin - because she was thinking about the silliest things even though she could undoubtedly feel the pain inside her chest and below. Kono winced, in an attempt to lift herself up, and felt a sharp jolt of pain run down her arm. A grimace replaced the grin on her face, but she didn't give up. She couldn't have lifted herself up, but she managed to at least turn around. Soon enough, she got comfortable. Thoughts like _'I shouldn't be here'_, _'What's going on'_ and _'When is this beeping going to stop'_ roamed her mind.

Suddenly - as if he just appeared out of nowhere - Kono's eyes saw Steve. Asleep on the chair beside her bed, his fist was clenching the gun, and his head was turned at her. Kono gasped, realising that _he was here_. And he had a gun in his hand, _damn it_. He wouldn't leave her, and no doctor could make him. Neither could Danny, Kono concluded. Steve must have had to aim his gun at Danny to shush him, and stop his bickering. It was funny, in a way - imagining Danny's _what the hell is the matter with you _face when Steve pulled his gun out.

Smiling to herself, Kono kept looking at Steve, before sleep overcame her.

* * *

Running a hand down his face, Danny let out a quite loud sigh. It might have been a groan, too - whatever it was - it surely didn't mean that Danny was content. His eyes were skimming piles of paperwork in front of him, and he wanted to cry. He genuinely wanted to cry because, well, he hadn't slept in weeks, his friend was in hospital, his partner was probably in jail for threatening the whole hospital staff and - the damn paperwork wasn't allowing him to see his daughter. It was Saturday, and he had Grace on Sundays. However - there was _no way_ he'd be able to finish everything on time _and_ spend some decent father-daughter time with Grace, without looking as if he had been run over by a truck. _Twice._

Danny squealed, and removed his hands off his face - to see Chin's friendly face enter the office. Carrying a box and two cups in his hands, Chin gave Danny the brightest smile.

"Please tell me that's edible because it smells beautiful," joked Danny bitterly. Chin let out a soft laugh, and nodded. Placing the box in front of Danny, he put his palms on the table.

"It is. Though, it's not cocoa puffs this time," commented Chin and observed Danny's smiley face turn into a sort of a frown. Chin _always_ made his day with cocoa puffs. Not that his friendly smile wasn't enough - it was, in many ways, precious - but Danny's hungry stomach wasn't as satisfied.

"Oh," uttered Danny, trying not to sound disappointed. Looking at the box more carefully, he noticed it was too big and too _flat_ for cocoa puffs. It could have meant only one thing...

"Straight from Jersey!" exclaimed Chin, and Danny glanced at the pizza in front of him. No ham, no pineapples... Danny almost choked on his enthusiasm, as tears filled his eyes.

"You're a ray of sunshine. No - no, even better! You are _the _sunshine, my friend and I, uh..." rambled Danny.

"C'mon, it'll get cold, brah. You don't eat real Jersey pizza every day!" commented Chin and watched Danny dig in.

_An hour later_

"Uh, so, case closed," spoke Danny and threw the black pen on the table. "It was about time."

"Yeah. I mean, who knew that Haku Iona was just a pawn? I was convinced he was behind all this, not Maui Iona."

"Me too. But, uh, it does make sense. Haku Iona is only in it for the money, he didn't really have a motive. The whole story - the masks and all - were only to draw _Steve's _attention. Maui played the vendetta card, and it almost worked," said Danny between sips of coffee.

"So he used his own brother to get him to Steve, and no one suspected a thing. I heard he was a big deal in the Navy, I bet he cleared his brother all charges."

"Uh, yes. Whatever happened, he wouldn't be the one to blame. It would either be Steve or Haku, but I doubt that Maui cared about his brother. He promised him money, and - for the head of the Yakuza - Haku was pretty dumb to buy that story."

"Indeed," confirmed Chin.

"Here's to another job well done," Danny raised the cup of coffee and grinned.

Things finally started to look brighter.

* * *

Pacing down the hall, Danny and Chin rushed to Kono's room. They could hear laughter so they had no reason to panic.

"Uh, interrupting something?" asked Danny upon entering. Steve was holding a spoon in his hand, and pudding in his other one and he was all red in face. Though Danny couldn't hear any noise coming out of his mouth, he could clearly see that Steve was laughing hard. He was nearly on the floor laughing. Kono covered her face with the blanket, but she was a lot louder. Chin grinned, satisfied, and sat on the chair opposite Steve.

"Oh God," murmured Kono whilst wiping tears off her face. Tears of _joy_. "We were just... talking."

"Yeah," drawled Steve and smiled brightly, glancing at Danny. "Want some pudding?" he offered, and Danny shook his head.

"Uh - no, Steve, thanks. Listen, don't you think you should go-"

"No," Steve cut him off at once. The expression on his face suddenly turned a tad more serious.

"But, Steve, you've been here _all the time. _You should at least go and eat something. Other than pudding," Chin pointed out, shrugging his shoulders. Steve frowned.

"Yes. And go get some sleep-"

"I'm fine, Danny!" argued Steve.

"Steve," said Kono suddenly, and Steve immediately glanced at her. "They have a point, you know. Besides, I'm much better. You'll come later, I won't go anywhere," she joked.

"Yes, and we'll, uh, keep her company. We're a lot of fun, right, Chin? It'll be great," said Danny enthusiastically. Steve pouted, but Kono's giggle caught him off guard.

"Go," said Kono.

"Fine," Steve stood up, and left the pudding on the night table. "I'll be back, though, so don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"Ha - I won't," promised Kono.

Steve left the room, keeping her smile in his thoughts, and he felt warmth around his heart as it raced. It was undeniable - he was falling for her completely, and there was nothing he could do about it. And quite frankly - there was nothing he wanted to do about it.

* * *

The water was slowly dripping down his body, as he wrapped a towel around himself. Steve brushed it through his hair, and leant above the sink. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he noticed how big the dark circles had gotten. He hadn't slept in a while, it was the main reason. The longer he stared, the more tired he seemed.

_You look like shit, _he could almost imagine the mirror telling him.

"Oh yeah, well so do you," he murmured, and blinked a few times. Steve realised he didn't care much about it - nothing mattered when he was with her.

Steve pulled his pants on - again a pair of cargo pants - and grinned to himself. Danny would surely make a wise remark.

Suddenly, his phone went off. The name on the screen awoke old memories, and Steve wished he had deleted it before. Not only the number - but the memories too.

_Flashback_

_Their feet were buried under the warm sand. Steve's eyes were glued to Catherine, who was concentrating__on her magazine. Steve playfully bit her ear and Catherine giggled._

_"Steve, stop it," she said giggly. Steve grinned and ran__his fingers through her hair, and Catherine sighed. "You're not going to stop, are you?"_

_"Have I ever?" Steve teased her, and kissed her. The magazine fell on the warm sand, and she smiled. She wasn't complaining - at all._

_"No," she said. Pushing him away gently, Catherine made a face. "We have to go or we'll be late again."_

_"So what?" insisted Steve, whispering. Catherine wanted to pull him closer, but she didn't._

_"Uh, Steve," sighed Catherine. "I'll lose my job."_

_"Then we can be together all the time," he suggested with a smirk. "Look," he started. "I love you, okay? I don't want to do this anymore, see you _sometimes_ and be with you _occasionally_. I want you, and I want us. Here and now, and forever," he said seriously. Catherine lost her breath as he flashed a gorgeous diamond ring in front of her eyes._

_"Yes," she gasped. Even though neither of them believed in forever, for a moment they pretended to. They wanted to, more than anything, to believe that they will make it through. And - for a moment - they did. Perhaps that is why things fell apart. They stopped believing in it._

* * *

Steve's pace wasn't relaxed. Even though things were starting to get better, there was just one thing he hadn't made peace with it. And he was dreading it.

The old place brought back so many memories into his mind, and he wished to go back. To forget the pain and all he had gone through.

Catherine turned around as Steve walked up to her.

"I'm sorry, Steve," she began. "This is entirely my fault."

"Uh-huh," he replied numbly. "What exactly?"

"Steve... I'm just sorry. I am. For all the things I've done and the things I haven't done. I shouldn't have left. I..." she uttered as tears filled her eyes. "I love you. I still do. And I always will. I guess I just don't want to leave those words unsaid."

"Cath..." he sighed. "I love you too," he said. "But not like I used to. Not _why_ I used to. I don't even know anymore, all I know is that there is someone-"

"Someone else now, I know," she finished his sentence and observed his confused expression.

"Wha'?" he uttered. Catherine turned away, and crossed her arms.

"I've seen the way you look at her," she whispered. "I've seen the way you smile at her. And I've heard you tell her you love her, Steve, and you know what? Those words never sounded more sincere and... beautiful. She should know how happy she made you - because - I get it now. You love _her_."

Then - she slowly walked out of his life.

* * *

When Kono woke up the next morning, after Chin and Danny had left - she found a note on her pillow.

_When I saw you, I fell in love_

_And you smiled_

_Because you knew _

Yes - Kono knew. She also knew that she fell in love with him too, a long time ago.

* * *

A/N2; I hope you enjoyed it, stay tuned for the next chapter! :)

Leave a review! :D


	16. La Hanau

**Chapter XVI – La Hanau – [ **_**Birthday **_**]**

A/N; I cannot believe I've come this far. No, no – we've come this far. This is the second last chapter and I just can't believe it! It's been such a pleasure writing this, and I have to say THANK YOU. Thank you for your wonderful reviews that truly made my days and kept me going. There were moments when I wanted to give up on this fic because I wasn't happy with it but you guys made me write. So thank you, you lovely people, for taking time out of your day(s) to read this. It honestly means so much to me.

I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you've enjoyed the fic, and I promise to post the last chapter within the next few days. It will be short and sweet, and hopefully a nice ending. Thank you, once again, for everything and I surely do hope you like this.

_Much love,_

_Nina_

* * *

Running a hand through his hair, Steve grinned, looking at the mirror. The circles under his eyes might have still been there, like scars from the past, but he knew they were going to fade. He only needed some time. And time brought him love – that is why he couldn't care less about the circles and the bruises.

Steve could hear the front door open, and the first thing that popped into his mind was Kono. No, that couldn't have been her, especially since he had told her not to do anything stupid. And that would have been stupid, to come by his house on her own after she had spent a few weeks in the hospital. After all, Steve was supposed to pick her up. She wouldn't ruin the surprise he had for her, would she?

Whilst walking down the stairs, Steve could see Danny's hand closing the door. Steve grinned once he saw him, and the pack of beers he brought along.

"I can't believe you knocked," teased Steve and Danny left the beer on the table.

"I'm just going to pretend you said hello and told me it was nice to see me," said Danny sarcastically. Steve then pulled him into a tight hug, and it caught Danny off guard. It was a _real_ hug, a hug he had needed for so long. Danny tapped Steve's back and let the silence reign, while he was trying really hard not to cry. They failed to realise how hurt they got along the way, and how no one ever said anything about it. They all acted as if nothing had happened, like they were fine – when they _weren't._ And that hug made Danny realise how badly he was in denial all that time when he thought he was just _all right_. But at the very moment, having his partner by his side, he knew that he hadn't been fine all that time. It hurt him, the fact that Steve almost _died_, and the fact that he fell apart in front of his eyes. The only comforting thing was that very hug, in that very moment, when Danny could feel Steve's strong grip, and smile to himself, knowing that his partner indeed was all right - and so was Danny himself.

"So, uh, I heard Catherine left," started Danny silently, expecting a loud and grumpy cut off from Steve. To his surprise, Steve nostalgically smiled.

"Yeah. She left," he confirmed and noticed Danny's look. Steve didn't want to talk further about it, perhaps he didn't know _what_ to say, but he felt like he owed Danny. And maybe he owed himself, too.

"You okay?" asked Danny and took a beer from the pack.

"Uh, yeah – I think so," began Steve and did the same as Danny. "I can't say that I won't miss her or that I'll just forget her tomorrow, Danny. But I've got to promise to myself that I'll at least try, you know? In a way, I'd miss missing her, because it grew on me. I got used to missing her, and that numb feeling I'd get every time I'd remember her. But at the same time, I hate all of that. I just want to let go, you know, doesn't matter how or when. I just want to let go," he explained and his eyes got a bit teary.

"I know, buddy," said Danny hoarsely, genuinely feeling compassionate. "What about Kono?"

"Kono?" repeated Steve, and suddenly a wide grin stretched across his face. "I love her, man," said Steve with such an ease, it almost seemed unreal. Danny smiled.

"I never thought I'd say this but, uh, it shows," he smiled, and Steve looked at him.

"Really?" he asked as his eyebrows rose.

"Yeah. Uh, you have that goofy glow in your eyes. And you don't frown so much anymore," uttered Danny, as if he was trying to remember all the reasons. "It's nice."

"I guess," said Steve and shrugged his shoulders.

"No – no, don't guess. Don't feel guilty for loving someone, ever."

"I know. I just... I have always thought it'd be Catherine. I really have. And then... Well, you know. I just feel stupid for promising her _forever_," he said, mocking the word forever.

"Listen, it's not your fault. We all promise crap at some point," said Danny. "That book is closed, Steve. You have every right to open a new one and not feel bad about it. If anyone deserved it, it's you."

"Thank you, Sigmund," joked Steve to what Danny rolled his eyes.

"I was just trying to be consulting!" he protested.

"I know! I was just joking," said Steve and stood up, putting the beer on the table. "Listen, Danno, I really appreciate it."

"Appreciate what? Me being Sigmund Freud for you occasionally?"

"Uh, yeah," he laughed. "When I chose you as my partner, I only did it because there was no one else to do the job. But if I were to choose now, I would do the same. Thank you, Danny, for... well, being there. I wouldn't have made it without you," confessed Steve and meanwhile Danny stood up.

"Oh shut up, you," grinned Danny and tapped Steve's shoulder. "I'll always be there to save your crazy ass and, uh, don't thank me for that. Your problems become my problems, remember?"

"Yeah," Steve smiled and looked at his watch. "Uh, I've got to go now but I'll see you later," said Steve and walked up to the door.

"Mind if I crash here for the night? I swear somebody stole my keys..."

"Of course not," smiled Steve. "Later, brah."

* * *

With flowers in one hand, and a box of chocolates in other, Steve walked up to Kono who was struggling with her luggage.

"Hey, would you leave that?" he grinned at her, and she left the luggage on the ground. "Why didn't you wait inside? And why are you walking, huh?"

"_Steve_, come on," said Kono. "I'm fine!" Steve glanced at her and lifted his brow, and then smiled.

"Well, you look great," he commented. "I brought you a little something," he smiled at her reaction once she saw the flowers.

"_Lilies!_" she exclaimed happily and smelled the flowers. "Steve, they're _beautiful._"

"Not as beautiful as you, though," he said nonchalantly, and smiled at her.

"_Steve,_" she giggled, and looked away, blushing. Steve's gaze was fixed on her as she smelled the flowers, trying to hide her blushing face.

"Come on, I've got to show you something," he said excitedly and reached his hand to her, and Kono looked at him. After a few seconds, she took his _warm_ hand. Then, she tried to pick up her luggage but Steve protested.

"Would you leave that, huh!" he grinned and grabbed her belongings, heading towards the car. Kono followed him, with his hand in her hand, and she smiled.

* * *

The ocean seemed golden under the sunshine. The waves kept crashing against the shore in perfect harmony. It was blissful, to watch them waves, and listen to the sound of them crashing.

Steve looked at Kono. They were sat on the warm sand, just like they used to. He remembered the cold nights filled with chatter, passion and alcohol. But a _different _passion. He remembered Kono, and her restless eyes, and the words she spoke. _She_ was the one who was so passionate about everything, it almost seemed like _she_ was the invincible one. He might have been the super seal, but not without her – he was sure.

"I remember when you told me I'd never be alone," began Steve. Kono looked at him, and tilted her head aside, as she observed his eyes. "I didn't believe you. I – thought you were just saying that, you know?"

"It wasn't like that," she said quietly.

"I know. I know now. But I didn't back then. I really felt like I didn't belong here or – well – anywhere. And the only thing I wanted was to crash with the waves. Because they seemed so... peaceful, I guess. I can't – tell you how I felt. It was..." he paused.

"I know. It's okay, Steve. It's okay," she said and smiled at him. Steve looked at the waves.

"Yeah," he looked at the sand between them, and reached for her hand. "I wouldn't have done it without you. I wouldn't have wanted to, Kono. You pulled me up and you... You never left. And that's when you got me. You got me when you stayed – and – I'm here. I'm here and I'm yours, and I don't care what happens as long as I'm with you. I'll be a rock; I'll be whatever you want me to be. Just... don't leave."

"I won't _ever_ leave you," whispered Kono seriously, and noticed how close they were. Steve let a tear roll down his cheek, and he kept looking into her eyes.

"I love you, Kono," he managed to say before he kissed her lips. Kono's lips stretched into a smile, and she put her arms around his neck. They were sat on the warm sand, like they used to, but this time – the night was cold but their _hearts_ weren't.

* * *

Steve wanted to push Danny into a bricked wall for making him _babysit._ It wasn't that he didn't like Grace, in fact – he loved her – of course he did. He was Uncle Steve to her. And she was a lot of fun, he had to admit. But adding six friends of hers to the package, and a night of girly things – it drained Steve completely.

Walking down the path leading to his house, he could feel every muscle in his body pain him, as he realised how tired he was. Not because he had to watch the girls – but because he was finally able to let things go. And a little bit of pain came with that.

Steve looked at Grace beside him, dressed in a cute yellow dress. Steve, himself, was dressed formally because the girls made him.

_You have to dress up! It's either a dress or a tux. _

"When did Danno say he'd be here?" asked Steve impatiently as they walked up to the door.

"I don't know," giggled Grace and looked up to Steve whilst he was unlocking the door.

Pushing the door open, Steve was completely caught off guard.

"_Happy birthday!_" everyone exclaimed, and Steve winced. His mouth then widened into a cheerful smile. Was it possible that he had forgotten his own birthday?

"Wow, guys," he uttered and looked at the crowd.

"It was about time! You two had fun at the sleepover?" teased Danny, and walked up to Steve. "Happy birthday, babe," he grinned and gave Steve a big hug.

"Hey, Steve, the cake's almost gone!" shouted Chin from across the room and went to hug him. "Hau'oli la Hanau, brah," said Chin and smiled as he tapped his shoulder.

"I think I'll pass, Chin, but thanks brotha'," he grinned.

"Don't worry, we didn't put salt this time," joked Chin.

"I bet you didn't, buddy," Steve laughed.

* * *

With a champagne glass in his hands, Steve walked out to the terrace, and leant against the door. Kono was looking at the ocean, sipping wine from her glass, dressed in a long taupe dress. Her hair was lovely in a bun, as a few locks were let down messily. Steve smiled, just looking at her. Kono turned around, and leant against the fence.

"There you are," he said. "I thought you left."

"Looks like you already forgot what I promised today," she raised her eyebrow, smirking. Steve laughed and immediately corrected himself.

"I didn't mean it like that. I thought you went home."

"I know, I know," she grinned. "How can I leave without wishing you a happy birthday?"

"You already did," he mentioned confusedly.

"Kind of," she agreed and pulled two tickets out of her clutch bag. "This is for you, from all of us. Don't say you don't need a vacation when you really do, Steve – and you deserved it more than anyone."

"Huh?" he looked at the tickets and widened his eyes. "Paris? What am I supposed to do in Paris for two weeks?"

"Whatever you want," she said sweetly.

"This... wow," he grinned. "Thank you."

"Are you happy?" she asked silently.

"Come with me," he whispered into her ear with both tickets in his hand.

"You want me to come with you? _Me_?" she asked seriously.

"Yes – _you_. Just you," he said and looked into her eyes. "Will you?"

"Yes," she replied. Steve pulled her closer, and kissed her. Their lips were sealed, and they were like frozen in a moment. It was like they were in a bubble, where time stopped – and they were happy. Steve's grin burst that bubble, and he looked into her eyes.

"Then the answer is yes," he finally said. "I'm happy."

The rest of the night he doesn't remember but what he does remember is waking up with Kono in her arms – and feeling as if he indeed was on the top of the world.


	17. No Keia La, No Keia Po, A Mau Loa

**Chapter XVII – No Keia La, No Keia Po, A Mau Loa** – [ From this day, from this night, forever more ]

* * *

A/N; This is it – the final chapter is here. What can I say, guys? You've been incredible, but I've already told you that. Thank you for your support from the bottom of my heart. Your reviews truly mean the world to me. It would be amazing if you left a review for this chapter!

Apologies for mistakes, but I do hope you enjoy this!

It's short and sweet, and I really hope it's a nice ending. :)

* * *

"Ready?" asked Danny as he peeked behind the white door. Steve fixed his bow tie, and looked at Danny's reflection in the mirror. A soft smile stretched across his face. Danny walked inside and leant on the door to close them, and then gazed at Steve. It almost seemed that Danny had a tear in his eye.

"Yeah, I'm ready," said Steve and took a good look at himself once again. The black tux fit him perfectly, not that he was aware of it – but it looked like it was made for _him_. "I'm ready."

Steve repeated and his face went serious again. Danny shoved his hands down the pockets of his tux and glanced at Steve.

"You're not getting cold feet – are you?" he asked, and Steve smiled. "You won't run away, huh, and do something stupid? Please – tell me it won't be one of those _last_ moments of freedom," joked Danny, but there was a serious tone to his joke. Steve rolled his eyes and turned around.

"Don't give me ideas, Danno," he joked.

"Ha ha," grinned Danny. "Let's go, you don't want to be late on your wedding day!"

"Relax, Danny, no one is going to be late," said Steve calmly. Danny walked up to the door and caught the doorknob. Then, he stopped and looked at Steve.

"Hey, Steve," he called and Steve turned around.

"Yeah, Danno?"

"I, uh, just wanted to tell you that I'm really happy for you. You, uh, deserve this."

"Thanks, buddy," said Steve and his eyes got a bit teary. Danny glanced at him.

"Come on!" he said loudly and grinned, and Steve followed him out of the room.

* * *

The sun was setting, and the waves were crashing against the shore in perfect harmony. A quiet, lovely tune was coming from the piano. Rose petals were scattered around the floor, and candles were lit all around. Danny tapped Steve's shoulder, and gave him a friendly smile, and they turned around.

The dress was strapless, slightly narrowed above the waist, a very light shade of ivory. Kono walked down the aisle graciously, and she kept smiling. Her hair was somewhat curly, with a white flower in it.

"You look amazing," whispered Steve as she stood next to him, and Kono blushed. "You always do."

Danny poked Steve lightly, and reached his hand out to him. Steve glanced at a piece of paper in his hand, but shook his head. Danny raised his brows but took a step back.

"I'm good," murmured Steve. Danny was surprised that he didn't need to read his vows – because he knew how nervous Steve was – but he figured that Steve probably had a lot to say. Then, Steve took Kono's hand and smiled at her with a glow in his eyes.

"Kono," he began and everything went silent. "I remember the day I first met you. I know it's cliché, and everyone mentions this in their vows," said Steve and got a hearty laugh from everyone. "But I fell for you then. Maybe just a little bit, yeah, but I did in a way. And you've always been there, and I know you always will be. I can't say how honoured I am to be able to spend the rest of my life with you. I am so happy, Kono, I don't remember when was the last time I was _this_ happy. I promise I will try to make you feel the same way, and try to make you the happiest woman on earth, because you deserve it. You deserve everything good in this world and I, uh, I can't believe you chose me. I can't believe I get to tell you that I'm yours, forever. But no, I won't promise you forever. I'll just promise you _now_, and I promise to love you more than anything. I promise I'll be there, and I promise to be true to you. I won't ever let anything or anyone hurt you. I love you, Kono Kalakaua, and this is my vow to you. I love you," he said with tears in his eyes. Kono squeezed his hands and smiled widely.

"Steve," whispered Kono, overwhelmed. "I don't know what to say. I have a lot to say but a lifetime wouldn't be enough for you to hear those words. The most beautiful things in life can't be seen or heard, they can only be felt," she smiled. "And what I feel right now, I can't describe it. You've made me the happiest woman and you don't ever need to try harder. I don't know what to say. God, I don't know what to say! I told you I should've said my vows first," she said sweetly, and Steve laughed. "I promise you I'll love you the best I can. That is all, for now. We've got a lifetime for all the words in the world, and I can't wait to embark upon the journey with you. I love you, Steve, and I vow to be faithful, and never to leave your side. For better or worse, I'm in, as long as I'm with you," she said the last words quietly, but her smile was as beautiful and genuine as ever.

Steve placed a ring on her finger, and they got an applause. Kono did the same and then looked at Steve.

"You should wear that tux more often," said Kono with a light smirk on her face.

"Oh, really?" Steve raised his brow playfully.

"_Really_," she whispered into his ear. "I love you, Steve," she whispered. Steve pulled her into a hug and kissed her – for a moment the time stopped. It was just the two of them. Steve whispered into her ear before they joined their guests with a glass of champagne.

"_Aloha au ia 'oe_."

* * *

**_The end_**

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_Thank you for reading & please leave a review! (;_


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